The head of the WHO says there is a “clear problem” that low- and middle-income countries are not yet receiving supplies of COVID-19 vaccines and urged nations to stop striking bilateral deals with manufacturers.

“Rich countries have the majority of the supply,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in strongly-worded comments on vaccine nationalism at a Geneva news briefing on Friday.

“No country is exceptional and should cut the queue and vaccinate all their population while some remain with no supply of the vaccine,” he added.

He asked countries and manufacturers to stop making bilateral deals and called on those who have ordered excess doses to immediately hand them over to the COVAX vaccine-sharing facility.