WHO Recommends Boosting COVID-19 Vaccination, Promotes Wearing Face Masks

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The European office of the World Health Organization (WHO) told Sputnik that countries should boost their COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and promote the wearing of face masks in public places to protect people from the Omicron strain in fall and winter.

The WHO stressed that booster doses should be delivered to everyone over five years of age.

"The epidemiological situation varies from country to country, and in preparation for winter and autumn, the WHO calls on countries to resume efforts to mitigate the effects of the spread of infection and to be ready to respond to the increased burden on their health systems," experts said.

According to experts, an increase in the number of vaccinated people, the introduction of a second booster dose for everyone over age five with weakened immunity and their close contacts, as well as "consideration of the possibility of offering a second booster dose to specific risk groups at least three months after their last one" will be crucial for protecting people this fall and winter.

It is necessary that people wear masks indoors and on public transport, the WHO stressed, and ventilation should be provided in crowded places. In addition, the organization's experts consider it important to use "strict therapeutic protocols for people at risk of serious illness."

The organization also called on governments to prepare for increasing pressure on health care systems.

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, 2020.