WHO appoints Tomori into specialised COVID-19 vaccine group

Renowned virologist, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, has been appointed into the World Health Organisation (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC).

The body is an independent entity of experts that periodically reviews evidence and analyses implications of emerging Variants of Concern (VOCs) on the performance of COVID-19 vaccines.

The group, which had its first meeting on Monday, came on board at a time WHO and partners stressed the need for shared access to information, coordination and prioritisation, as well as joint action and appealed for the development of a global risk monitoring and assessment framework that elaborates decision-making processes for decision-making and stakeholders’ commitments.

Tomori told The Guardian that following discussions with” leads of Laboratory and Diagnostics, Research & Development, Vaccines, Regulatory and overall coordination Teams and consultations with the Executive Director for WHO Health Emergencies Programme, the Coordination Group recognises the need to establish TAG-CO-VAC to make recommendations to WHO on the methods to assess the impact of VOCs on vaccines, provide interpretation of available evidence on the effect of VOCs on vaccines, including but not limited to vaccine effectiveness, and recommend to WHO, for each COVID-19 vaccine platform, adaptations (if any) needed so that vaccines continue to safely provide WHO-recommended levels of protection against VOCs.”