“We are seeing a new wave” of Covid infections “in many EU states. The spread of the infection is driven by the Omicron 4 and 5 variants (BA.4 and BA.5) which are highly transmissible. Based on current projections BA.4 and BA.5 are expected to become dominant in Europe probably completely replacing all other variants by the end of July“. Marco Cavaleri, head of Vaccines and Covid-19 Therapeutic Products of the European Medicines Agency Ema, drew the picture today during the periodic briefing with the press.
SECOND BOOSTER – “Given the current Covid situation” in Europe “I want to recall the contents of the joint recommendation that the European Medicines Agency Ema and the ECDC (European Center for Disease Prevention and Control) adopted in April. the indication was that people over 80 should receive a second booster with an authorized mRna vaccine, “Cavaleri points out. But in the same document “we also said that in the presence of a significant resurgence of infections as is happening now, even people between 60 and 79 years old and vulnerable people from a medical point of view of any age should receive the second recall”.
“We have already given these recommendations in April to support Member States in their decisions on the second booster and we are also considering a further statement together with the ECDCs to support the use of a second booster in the current context of Omicron 4 and 5 in the Continent”. “As this wave of Covid spreads in Europe it is essential to maintain the protection of vulnerable people and avoid any postponement of vaccination.”
VACCINE CHILDREN UNDER 5 – An opinion from the European Medicines Agency Ema on Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech anti-Covid vaccines for children aged 6 months to 5 years could arrive “in early autumn”, reports Cavaleri. “We are already evaluating the request” submitted to the agency “for Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine * – he recalls – We really hope to reach a conclusion very soon, but we can foresee that it will happen after the summer break. At the same time also for Pfizer-BioNTech we are starting the evaluation of the data right now, and we should be able to give an opinion in the early autumn. “
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