More than half of 10-17 year olds in the European Union / European Economic Area have not yet completed a primary course of Covid vaccination. It is one of the data contained in a technical report of the ECDC (European Center for Disease Prevention and Control) on the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine in 12-17 year olds, which also includes provisional public health considerations on the administration of a dose booster in this population.
As of January 30, the ECDC points out, “the median adherence to the primary course of anti-Covid vaccination among adolescents aged 15 and 17 was 70.9%” and among children and adolescents aged “between 10 and 14 years was 34.8% “, with” wide differences “between the EU / See countries.
Vaccination for the first age groups under 18 was introduced during the summer of 2021, about 6 months after the introduction of Covid vaccines in EU / See countries, experts recall. All countries in the area now recommend immunization for 12-17 year olds, and 10 countries also recommend a booster dose for under 18s.
BOOSTER – “The mathematical models suggest that the impact of administering an anti-Covid booster dose to children between the ages of 12 and 17” involves “a small reduction (1-3%) of the” contagion “index Rt in ‘entire population, variable according to the level of adhesion to the recall by adolescents “. “At this stage”, therefore, “priority should still be given to completing primary vaccination cycles in the populations where it is recommended and the administration of boosters to priority groups, before considering offering boosters to 12-17 year olds without underlying diseases “is the observation contained in the ECDC technical report on the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine in 12-17 year olds, which also includes interim public health considerations on administering a booster dose in this population.
“When considering the possibility of administering a booster dose to adolescents who have completed the primary cycle – observes the ECDC summarizing the key messages of the report published today – the data on the risk-benefit ratio of a booster dose in this range of age should be carefully reviewed as soon as they become available. In addition, the epidemiological situation, the national priorities and objectives of the anti-Covid vaccination campaign, the coverage levels of primary cycles and boosters in the priority groups and the general population should be considered. as well as vaccine equity and vaccine supplies “.
The ECDC released the new document in the light of the evidence that is emerging on a decrease in immunity in adults after 2 doses with authorized vaccines, and following requests from some Member States. The purpose of the text is to provide an overview of what is known so far for this age group and to outline interim public health considerations for the potential use of a booster dose in this group. As for the booster in adolescents, the ECDC noted in a note, “the preliminary data on the efficacy of the vaccine suggest an increase in protection against documented Sars-CoV-2 infection compared to the primary course. However, at the moment there is no information on the term of protection “.
MASKS – EU member states should “consider” the imposition of face masks “in public spaces” in “areas with community transmission” of Sars-CoV-2, “when the goal is to limit the transmission of community”. It is one of the “key messages” of a document on the use of masks as a public health measure published last night by the ECDC in Stockholm.
Among other things, the ECDC reminds us that the “correct” use of the mask is “important”, remembering that it should be worn so that it “completely covers the face from the slope of the nose to the chin” and that it should be worn as close as possible to the face. face.
If you use the so-called community masks, i.e. non-professional such as surgical and Ffp2, it is good that they comply with the standards of effectiveness in filtering and breathability. Community masks not manufactured according to the correct guidelines are “less effective” than those manufactured according to them. The selection of the type of mask “should take into account the availability and tolerability, as well as the effectiveness”, concludes the ECDC.
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