Coronavirus infections frighten Europe, once again the “epicenter” of the pandemic, and another 500 thousand deaths are risked by February in the Old Continent and in Asia. The alarm comes from the World Health Organization, while the EMA warns: “We have entered the fourth wave”. Hence “the need for everyone” to get the Covid vaccine “as soon as possible” and the hypothesis of a third dose for everyone.
According to the WHO, the inequalities in vaccination coverage in the various countries and the relaxation of preventive measures have brought Europe back to “a critical point”. All 53 countries of the continent are facing “a real threat of Covid recovery or are already fighting it,” said Hans Kluge, WHO director for Europe, who urged governments to re-impose or maintain prevention measures. and social distancing. “With the widespread recovery of the virus – he said – I ask all health authorities to carefully reconsider the possibility of loosening or revoking the measures” to contain the coronavirus at this stage.
“If this continues, we could have another half a million victims from Covid in Europe and Asia by February 1 next year and 43 European countries will face extreme pressure on hospital beds, “said the WHO director for Europe.” Vaccines are doing what they promised: preventing severe forms of the disease and especially mortality … But they are our most powerful weapon only when used in conjunction with other social and public health measures “warned Kluge.” The message has always been, do it all, “he added, recalling that in the last week the cases of Covid in Europe and Asia have increased by 6%, the victims by 12%, with new daily infections growing by 55% in the last month.
“We have entered the fourth wave of Covid-19“said Marco Cavaleri, head of Vaccines and Therapeutic Products of the European Medicines Agency Ema.” We see that the epidemiological situation in Europe is becoming increasingly complicated, with a new increase in cases “of Covid-19 and in the light of the trend of the pandemic in the EU “we want to reiterate our message on the importance of people getting vaccinated or completing the vaccination cycle as soon as possible”, underlined Cavaleri.
A fourth wave that alarms Europe. “The epidemiological situation is now very worrying“, confirmed Fergus Sweeney, Head of Clinical Studies and Production of the European Medicines Agency.” We enter the winter with increases in the rates of infections and hospitalizations, and we also see an increase in lethal outcomes “, in deaths, underlined the expert.
“This emphasizes a very important point”, that is “the need for everyone to get vaccinated and that those who have had the first dose also take the second”. “We see that national governments are reintroducing measures such as social distancing and masks – he added – We must follow all these precautions, in order to protect others and ourselves”.
THIRD DOSE – “Most EU member states” have started administering booster doses of “Covid vaccine” to people most at risk of infection and transmission of the “SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus”. “The next step could be extending booster doses to the general population,” Cavaleri said.
FOURTH DOSE – Will we move towards a fourth dose of Covid vaccine for the most fragile? “We have learned that there are people particularly vulnerable to this virus. As known, for the immunocompromised we already recommend 3 doses as part of the primary vaccination course. And it is not excluded that, for this type of patients who may not respond well to vaccination, a fourth dose may be needed or considered already now. We are gathering more evidence to properly inform and make sure we are in a position to issue a recommendation, “Cavaleri said.
PFIZER 5-11 YEARS – Anti Covid vaccine for under 12s by Christmas. The conclusion of the review that EMA is conducting on Pfizer / BioNTech’s Comirnaty * in the 5-11 age group is “expected in December”, announced the head of Vaccines and Therapeutic Products of the European Medicines Agency. emphasizing that the timing envisaged is “reduced” compared to that of “other similar reviews”. In the decision-making process, he specified, “we will also consider additional data collected and presented” to the agency “by BioNTech / Pfizer as part of an ongoing pediatric study”.
Comirnaty has been authorized in these days for children aged 5 to 11 in the US, both by the Fda drug agency and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Cdc).
MERCK PILL – “We are ready to advise EU member states so that they can make Merck’s anti-Covid pill molnupiravir available” (MSD outside the US and Canada) “for emergency use”, even “prior to authorization. marketing “formal Aic, explained Cavaleri.
On the oral antiviral molnupiravir, the EMA has already started the continuous rolling review procedure. “Studies analyzed as part of the cyclical review – he stressed – suggest that this treatment can reduce the ability of the coronavirus” Sars-CoV-2 “to replicate in the body, preventing hospitalization or death in Covid-19 patients”.
Just yesterday molnupiravir received the world’s first authorization in the UK, from the Mhra drug agency, for the treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19, in Sars-CoV-2 positive adults who have at least one factor of risk for developing severe disease.
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