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The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency will soon recommend a second COVID-19 booster for everyone above 60 amid a new spike in infections and hospitalisations across Europe, the EU health commissioner said on 11 July.
“Today ECDC and EMA will recommend an additional booster to protect the most vulnerable,” EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides.
Both the agencies are set to issue a joint statement at 0900 GMT on Monday.
“It is crucial that everyone above 60 and all vulnerable persons come forth for a second booster dose as quickly as possible,” Kyriakides said in a statement.
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Since April, EU health agencies have recommended a second booster only for those older than 80 and the most vulnerable. The new recommendation is expected to facilitate national decisions to speed up vaccination campaigns, which have been slowing to nearly a halt in recent months.
“We need to act now to boost the protection of citizens at risk over the summer months,” Kyriakides said.
She was of the opinion that vaccines currently available for boosters, such as Pfizer’s and Moderna’s, are “highly effective in reducing severe COVID.”
However, it is unclear how effective they are at preventing infections from the newest COVID-19 Omicron sub-variants.
With PTI inputs.
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