Omicron variant Covid-19: WHO dey worry say rich kontris fit hide vaccines

World Health Organization (WHO) don express concern say rich kontris go start to hide Covid vaccines in response to di rapid spread of di new Omicron variant.

E say dis fit threaten supplies to kontris wia most pipo still neva collect di vaccine.

Some rich kontris dey sharply roll-out booster shot as response to Omicron.

Di worry be say vaccines fit no too get effect on di variant.

Recent investigate of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine show say e dey produce far fewer neutralising antibodies against Omicron than against di original variant, but dem fit reverse am wit booster.

But WHO say di koko na to give primary doses as na dat suppose be priority.

WHO vaccine director Kate O'Brien don ask richer nations to continue to dey donate vaccine doses and shipments to kontri wey neva too get so as to address wetin don become dangerous inequity in access.

"As we dey enta into whatever di Omicron situation go be, risk dey say di global supply go again return to high-income countries hiding vaccines," she tok.

Supplies to di global vaccine-sharing programme Covax increase in recent months.

But world health officials dey fear repeat of di shortfall of tens of millions of doses wey bin happun for middle of dis year, partly as a result of India wey suspend exports wen dem bin get surge in cases.

Dr O'Brien say e possible say additional fit provide more protection against Omicron, but so far na small evidence dey to show say dem need am to protect against severe disease.

Omicron na di most heavily mutated version of coronavirus wey dem don discover so far.

Dem first identify am for South Africa, wia dem get surge now for di number of people wey dey catch Covid multiple times.