Geneva: Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that new findings issued by experts of the WHO confirm unequivocally that there is no causal link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders. Speaking at a press conference held in Geneva on Thursday, Ghebreyesus highlighted the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety's comprehensive review of 31 studies conducted over 15 years across various countries. These studies consistently reinforce WHO's previous conclusions that childhood vaccines and vaccines administered during pregnancy, including those containing aluminum or thimerosal, do not cause autism.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Ghebreyesus emphasized the vital role vaccines have played in reducing under-five mortality, which has more than halved over the past 25 years, dropping from 11 million deaths annually to 4.8 million. He noted that vaccines are a significant factor in this improvement. Ghebreyesus also reiterated the importance of vaccines, particularly for individuals at high risk of complications from influenza and COVID-19, which continues to pose severe health risks and lead to long COVID in high-risk groups.
Ghebreyesus further mentioned that WHO recently designated a new variant, BA.3.2, under monitoring and published a new risk evaluation. Additionally, WHO released a strategic plan for addressing coronavirus disease threats, including COVID-19, MERS, and potential new coronavirus diseases. This marks the first unified plan for managing coronavirus disease threats, signifying a transition from emergency response to sustained, long-term integrated management.