Actions

WHO chief urges halt to booster shots for rest of the year

COVID Vaccine Booster
Posted
and last updated

GENEVA (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization is calling on rich countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines to refrain from offering booster shots through the end of the year, expanding a call that has largely fallen on deaf ears.

The WHO head also said Wednesday he was “appalled” at comments by pharmaceutical manufacturers who said vaccine supplies are high enough to allow for both booster shots for people in well-supplied countries and first jabs in poorer countries that face shortages.

The WHO chief said: “I will not stay silent when companies and countries that control the global supply of vaccines think the world’s poor should be satisfied with leftovers."

The U.S. and others have already begun some booster shots.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Wednesday

02/18/2026

Rain Late

-° / 42°

75%

Thursday

02/19/2026

Partly Cloudy

51° / 35°

24%

Friday

02/20/2026

Clear

54° / 35°

3%

Saturday

02/21/2026

Partly Cloudy

65° / 41°

3%

Sunday

02/22/2026

Partly Cloudy

68° / 45°

3%

Monday

02/23/2026

Cloudy

70° / 53°

7%

Tuesday

02/24/2026

Showers Late

73° / 54°

38%

Wednesday

02/25/2026

Showers Late

68° / 52°

38%