Coronavirus vaccine could be ready in 18 months: WHO
“We have to do everything today using the available weapons”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the first vaccine for coronavirus may be available within 18 months from now.
"We have to do everything today using the available weapons," the Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has come up with the remark at a briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, reports CNN.
He also announced a new name for the novel outbreak, Coronvvirus Disease or COVID-19.
China's coronavirus outbreak poses a "very grave threat for the rest of the world" and should be viewed as "Public Enemy Number 1", the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, reports Reuters.
Tedros urged countries to step up measures to detect and contain the virus, especially in at least 30 countries with weaker health systems, where it could "create havoc".
Referring to some governments' counter-terrorism measures, Tedros said: "To be honest, a virus is more powerful in creating political, economic and social upheaval than any terrorist attack.
"A virus can have more powerful consequences than any terrorist action. If the world doesn't want to wake up and consider this enemy virus as Public Enemy number 1, I don't think we will learn from our lessons," he said.
China has reported 42,708 confirmed cases, including 1,017 deaths, Tedros said, noting that there were fewer than 400 cases in 24 other countries with one death.
WHO began a two-day meeting, where it appealed for sharing virus samples and speeding up research into drugs and vaccines.
"With 99% of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world," he told more than 400 researchers and national authorities, including some taking part by video conference from mainland China and Taiwan.