The prompt comes after the EU’s medicines agency approved vaccines from Moderna and BioNTech-Pfizer that have been updated to treat the omicron subvariant.
What are countries being asked to do this winter?
The European Commission has published a series of concrete measures and strategies for national governments to adopt as the 27-member bloc heads into autumn and winter. Measures include prioritizing tailored booster shots for higher-risk population groups, as well as trying to close vaccination gaps for those who have not yet received a full dose or first booster – particularly among children who are now eligible for the shot. Countries have also been urged to maintain vaccination capacities by either reactivating vaccination centers or having general practitioners administer vaccines. While many restrictions on wearing masks in public have been lifted, the Commission “strongly encouraged” governments to ensure their use in certain places, such as public transport.
What about the new variants?
The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said the surge in cases this summer “reminded us very clearly that the pandemic is far from over”. As more activities move indoors and children return to school in the cooler months, the potential for the virus to spread increases. In addition, the Commission said that changes in behavior due to pandemic fatigue and the lifting of restrictions could also have an impact. “These factors facilitate the rapid circulation of the virus in the EU and this opens the door to new variants emerging that could evade immunity, spread more easily or cause more severe disease,” the Commission warned. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) also warned that further variants of the coronavirus could be on the horizon, but that existing vaccines would still protect people. “A completely new variant may emerge that we are not able to predict today,” EMA vaccine chief Marco Cavalleri told a news conference on Friday. He urged people not to wait for specific vaccines tailored for the now-predominant Omicron strain. “The original vaccines are still able to protect against severe COVID-19 disease and death,” even if they are less effective than the new vaccines at preventing infection. The EU says more than 2,300 people across the bloc are still dying each week from coronavirus infections. rs/wd (AFP, Reuters, KNA)
