Medical Supplies for Nigeria, Others Leave Addis Ababa

Medical Supplies for Nigeria, Others Leave Addis Ababa

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has disclosed that the first United Nations (UN) solidarity flight carrying “vital COVID-19 medical supplies to all African nations,” has departed Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

The WHO disclosed this in its “Coronavirus Disease 2019 Situation Report -85” published yesterday.

“WHO cargo includes one million face masks as well as personal protective equipment which will be enough to protect health workers while treating more than 30,000 patients and laboratory supplies to support surveillance and detection,” the report indicated.

The report added that there is no evidence that oral poliovirus vaccine protects people against infection with the COVID-19 virus.

It however said that a clinical trial addressing the question is planned in the USA, and WHO will evaluate the evidence when it is available.

It added, “In the absence of evidence, WHO does not recommend OPV vaccination for the prevention of COVID-19. WHO continues to recommend OPV as part of essential immunisation services to prevent poliomyelitis and as part of global polio eradication efforts.

“There are experimental signals from various studies over the years that OPV has non-specific effects on the immune system. These effects have not been well characterised and their clinical relevance is unknown.

“Such non-specific effects may not be limited to OPV, as other live vaccines have also been associated with non-specific protective effects (such as BCG vaccine against tuberculosis). Non-live vaccines in contrast do not seem to have the same effects.

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