The World Health Organization (WHO) has evaluated the latest developments in the pandemic situation across the world and issued a recommendation to lift or ease COVID-19 travel restrictions due to their ‘inefficacy’.
The WHO confessed that e-health passports system doesn’t work, while the travel restrictions couldn’t stop spreading of the coronavirus. As the health experts says, they have proven to be of little public health value but detrimental for economic growth.
The WHO Emergency Committee on International Health Regulations has issued a statement, which says that “the committee identified the following actions as critical for all countries; lift or ease international traffic bans.” these measures, unfortunately, do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress experienced by states parties.
Thus, the failure of travel restrictions to restrain the cross-border spread of Omicron has proven their inefficacy.
The WHO advised for international traffic to not require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for international travel as the only pathway or condition permitting international travel given limited global access and inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Additionally, WHO also urged nations to recognise all vaccines that have received WHO authorisation, particularly in the context of international travel.
In its efforts to curb the pandemic, WHO recommends the vaccination. So far, the UN health body has approved 10 COVID-19 vaccines, including Astrazeneca, Covaxin, Covishield, Covovax, Comirnaty, Moderna, Janssen, Sinovac, and Sinopharm. Meantime, Russia’s Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona are undergoing review process.
