WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) \u2014 Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Dr Carissa Etienne said on Tuesday that the COVID-19 vaccines soon to be available from the COVAX Facility are still recommended for the region, despite new variants of the virus.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on the evidence we have now on the variants of concern, we are confident that our growing portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines remains useful and will guide us through the end of this pandemic,\u201d she said during her weekly press briefing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have at our hands a whole generation of effective vaccines to prevent infection and, especially, severe disease. Down the line, we may need to adapt our strategies, but we will continue to rely on these vaccines. The challenge now remains to ensure these vaccines are distributed quickly and fairly across our region, starting with those who need them most.\u201d<\/p>\n
So far, 20 countries in the region have at least one of three variants of concern circulating in the Americas.<\/p>\n
Dr Etienne said evidence suggests that two of the variants \u2014 B117 first detected in the United Kingdom and P1 first detected in Brazil \u2014 may be more easily transmissible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no reason for alarm, but for attention,\u201d Dr Etienne said.<\/p>\n
PAHO’s surveillance network is monitoring the variants of concern, working closely with similar efforts around the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are outstanding research teams working on the ground in places like Manaus, Brazil, who are focusing on this issue and providing us with information as swiftly as they can,\u201d the PAHO director said, referring to the location where the P1 variant originated.<\/p>\n
PAHO’s Regional Genomic Surveillance Network has increased the ability to sequence virus samples by 50 per cent since the beginning of 2021. Now, at least 11 regional countries can sequence virus samples and detect other new variants.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must stay focused on improving our capacity for surveillance, so we can keep track of trends, including variants of concern,\u201d Dr Etienne said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur recommendations to prevent this virus remain the same: uphold strong surveillance, limit gatherings, and practice social distancing, frequent hand hygiene, and mask wearing,\u201d she added. \u201cBy continuing to adopt these practices \u2014 even after we are vaccinated \u2014 we can not only limit the spread of today’s variants but prevent new ones from emerging tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
COVAX is a global mechanism to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines regardless of countries’ incomes.<\/p>\n
Dr Etienne provided an update on the pandemic’s impact on the region. In the past week, the Americas reported nearly 1.6 million new cases of COVID-19 \u2014 virtually half of all new global cases.<\/p>\n
The Caribbean is experiencing a significant rise in infections, particularly in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Barbados, and St Lucia.<\/p>\n
However, there is also cause for hope, Dr Etienne said. After many weeks of increases in COVID-19 cases and deaths, trends are beginning to improve in some of the most heavily affected countries, including the US and Brazil. There are also positive signs in Panama, Costa Rica, Chile and Argentina.<\/p>\n
\u201cTransmission increases every time we let our guard down and disregard preventive measures that have been proven to limit the spread of this virus,\u201d Dr Etienne said. \u201cA well-coordinated response that employs the full range of public health measures is still our best hope of stopping transmission in the short term.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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