By: V4 Agency
The virus can only be defeated through international cooperation, says the French president, who called for the acceleration of vaccination campaigns across the world and suggested the use of Chinese and Russian vaccines as well, once the necessary licences are obtained.
Speaking to the weekly Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) about possible steps to contain the pandemic, French President Emmanuel Macron said the fight against the new variants was like a real race against time, which can only be won through global efforts.
Members of the Act-A international initiative held a meeting in a videoconference, according to the weekly. The participants agreed that vaccination needs to be accelerated as soon as possible in all corners of the world, because due to global trade and travel, there is no point in vaccination in rich countries, if low-income countries fail to take action or if they roll out their vaccination campaigns with delays. According to information obtained by JDD, WHO General-Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore agreed with Emmanuel Macron on the importance of rolling out vaccination globally as soon as possible.
According to the French president’s office, swift action is needed, without any additional delays. Failure to take global action will not only have health consequences, but also ethical implications, the Elysee has said. Emmanuel Macron has called for cooperation with China and Russia so that vaccines developed by scientists there could be integrated into a large-scale, multilateral effort against the pandemic, provided that the necessary certifications for these jabs have been obtained from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the article published in Le Journal du Dimanche reveals.
In addition to bottlenecks in the production and delivery of vaccines at industry level, organisations and authorities are hindered by excuses and refusal stemming from mistrust between countries, according to the French president. Macron also stressed the need for greater transparency in terms of science and agreements. Openness and transparency in science offer help in understanding the origins and evolution of this virus, Mr Macron said, while he also pointed out that it was necessary to have transparency regarding contracts signed between countries and pharmaceutical companies.