Leo Correa/AP Photo
- The World Health Organization refused to say how many of its staff have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
- The agency told the Associated Press the information was "confidential."
- In April, the agency said it was against vaccine mandates.
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The World Health Organization will not reveal the number of its own staff who are vaccinated against COVID-19, the Associated Press reported.
"We won't have that because it's confidential," Dr. Margaret Harris, a World Health Organization spokeswoman told the AP.
WHO has been pushing for greater vaccine access across the globe, and has encouraged people to get vaccinated as soon as they're able. The organization is a leader in COVAX, a program to help send vaccines to countries that need them the most.
The agency also keeps track of data published by countries on vaccination rates and reports on it but while some of WHO's leadership – like Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus – have said they've been vaccinated, medical privacy rules have made it difficult for the agency to release more data on how many employees have gotten their shots.
In November 2020, the agency disclosed that 65 staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden announced a plan to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the US by making vaccination mandatory for federal employees, contractors of federal agencies, and staff at all healthcare facilities that receive federal funding from Medicare or Medicaid.
Additionally, private companies with more than 100 employees have to require workers to be vaccinated or get tested weekly.
In April of this year, WHO said it does not support COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
WHO isn't the only organization not releasing data on internal vaccinations: A United Nations spokesperson also told the AP their agency was unable to release the number of its staff that have been vaccinated.
"We don't disclose this kind of information. It's something that is said to the medical service. So, no, unfortunately, we won't be able to give you these numbers," UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci told the AP.
WHO did not respond to Insider's request for comment.