The EU sets as a priority to achieve adapted vaccines against covid-19 by September

Although the situation in Europe has stabilized, covid-19 infections continue to number in the millions globally, meaning the pandemic is far from over. “We must remain vigilant and be prepared for the appearance of new variants and a possible increase in cases next winter & rdquor ;, warned this Thursday the head of the vaccine strategy of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Marco Cavalieri, who makes it a priority to achieve adapted covid vaccines to the new variants for the month of September at the latest, in time for the next autumn/winter vaccination campaign.

“Vaccines are a central pillar of our response to the pandemic and almost half a million lives of people over 60 years of age have been saved thanks to vaccination & rdquor ;, explained the head of the EMA. The agency works together with pharmaceutical laboratories in the development of “adapted vaccines” to possible new variants of the virus, such as Omicron, which at the same time offer greater long-term protection than the vaccines available up to now. As explained by Cavaleri, The “priority is to ensure that the adapted vaccines are approved no later than September & rdquor ;, in time for the autumn immunization campaign, which would also give manufacturers time to adjust their production. In this process, as admitted by the head of agency Vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech and Modernawhich produce vaccines based on messenger RNA, are ahead.

As for the administration of fourth dose of messenger RNA vaccines, or the second reinforcement, the EMA insists that at the moment it is “too soon & rdquor; to consider its administration in the general population. Although it supports its use in people over 80 years of age given the increased risk of severe covid-19 in this age group in which immune responses may be lower than in younger individuals. The number one priority of those responsible for health, in any case, “must continue to be closing the vaccination gaps,” insists the European regulator.

50% with complete guideline and reinforcement

Although the vaccines are widely available, so far only 50% of Europeans are fully vaccinated with the primary and booster regimen while 15% of Europeans over the age of 18 have not yet received a single vaccine. “It is important that people who are not yet vaccinated and who have not received a booster get vaccinated, especially if they are at increased risk of severe disease & rdquor ;, he recalled doing.

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According to data from European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC in its acronym in English), so far 75% of the European population available for one dose, 72% the full regimen and only 51% have received the booster. At the bottom of Europe in vaccination percentages are Bulgaria, with only 30% of the population vaccinated with one dose (10% with booster), Romania where only 42% have the complete schedule and only 9% have received the booster or Slovakia with 51% of the population with the complete regimen but only 30% immunized with the booster.

During the press conference, Cavaleri also confirmed that the European regulator has begun to evaluate the request for a booster dose for people over 18 years of age presented by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which could be used as a booster in people who have received another brand in their initial regimen. The European Medicines Agency has also begun to evaluate the application submitted by the company modern to extend the use of its anticovid vaccine to children between 6 months and 5 years. This is the first request they receive for this age group. In addition, they examine the application for Novavax to extend the use of its vaccine to the group between 12 and 17 years of age. Regarding the authorization process of the Russian vaccine Sputnikthe European regulator has explained that at the moment there has been “tangible progress & rdquor ;.