“Mixed picture” in Europe, Covid-19 vaccine at least 12 months off: WHO

WHO spokeswoman said that a vaccine for covid-19 is unexpected to be around for 12 months or even longer.

The number of new cases of Covid-19 is easing in some parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain, but outbreaks are still growing in Britain and Turkey, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Medical staffers wearing protective gear, part of a special unit performing house calls, walk in Bergamo, northern Italy, one of the areas worse-affected by coronavirus, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. (AP)

“The overall world outbreak, 90 percent of cases are coming from Europe and the United States of America. So we are certainly not seeing the peak yet,” WHO spokeswoman Dr. Margaret Harris told a briefing in Geneva.

In China, “the biggest threat is imported cases,” she said, referring to the latest data.

“We shouldn’t really be expecting to see the vaccine for 12 months or longer,” Harris added.