As the roll-out of vaccination progresses in the EU, the issue of “optimising” the restrictions imposed on the population to contain the Covid-19 pandemic is also being discussed at European level.
The EU Council Working Party on Public Health discussed the issue at a meeting on Monday 7 June on the basis of a note prepared by the EU Council Presidency and provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
“While effective in controlling the epidemic, some of these measures have significant socio-economic costs and may negatively impact the physical and emotional well-being of populations”, the note says.
It also considers it “of the utmost importance” that States implement a strategy for non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) “that balances epidemiological benefit and socio-economic costs”.
This should be facilitated by the roll-out of the vaccines, the Presidency insists, recalling that their uptake in the EU adult population reached 42% for at least one dose of vaccine and 19% for the full vaccination round at the end of May. “In people aged 80 years and above, the median vaccine uptake was 80% for at least one dose and 62% for the full vaccination course”, the note said.
The ECDC believes that NPIs such as physical distance and masks can be relaxed for fully vaccinated people, including the elderly. However, the institution recommends that NPIs be maintained in public spaces and large gatherings, regardless of the vaccination status of individuals, and in cases of high circulation of variants.
In general, States are also called upon to address concerns about variants—including a possible reduction in vaccine effectiveness against them—and to maintain screening and surveillance measures (see EUROPE 12713/14). (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)