Anti-drugs use of booster doses 'unfair and unethical'

The increasing use of boosters is immoral, unfair and unethical and must stop, saying on Tuesday ABC's Becky Anderson told Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

To start boosters is the worst thing that you can do as a global community. It is unjust and also unfair because we will not stop the pandemic by ignoring a whole continent, and the continent that doesn't have any manufacturing capacity of other means, he said.

The WHO has recommended an additional vaccine dose for immunocompromised people, but strongly opposes the widespread use of booster shots until more of the world gets vaccinated with a first round of Covid - 19 shots.

South America, North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania have all administered a single vaccination dose to more than 50% of their populations, whereas only 7% of the population of Africa has received a dose, Tedros said.

The US Food and Drug Administration FDA approved booster doses of Pfizer's vaccine for certain people in September. In addition the European Medicine Agency EMA is directed Europe nations to issue official recommendations on the use of booster doses taking into account emerging effectiveness data and limited safety data. The EMA says that people with normal immune systems, booster doses of BioNTech Pfizer can be considered at least 6 months after the second dose for people aged 18 years and older. The agency is currently evaluating data to support a booster dose for the Moderna vaccine, as well as a vaccine supplement.