The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) published on Monday 11 July updated recommendations for an additional booster dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
With SARS-CoV-2 infections on the rise in Europe, both organisations stress the importance of completing a first vaccination regimen with available vaccines.
The EMA and ECDC recommend a second booster dose of the vaccine for people aged 60 years and over and for medically vulnerable people, at least four months after the previous dose and focusing on people who received a first booster more than six months ago.
These guidelines extend to nursing home residents and, more specifically, to health care and nursing home staff who are over 60 or vulnerable.
Both organisations believe that there is not yet sufficiently clear epidemiological evidence to extend these recommendations to people under 60 who are not vulnerable.
The EMA and ECDC emphasise the effectiveness of existing and available vaccines. The EMA is working towards approval of potential vaccines for the new variants of concern by September.
The two agencies recommend that States start vaccination campaigns now for the second booster doses in early autumn.
According to the latest ECDC figures, 75.4% of the total EU/EEA population received a first dose, 72.7% completed a first vaccination schedule, 52.7% received a first booster dose and 3.2% received a second booster dose. Large disparities persist between States.
Decisions on the implementation of vaccination remain the responsibility of the Member States and will be adopted by the National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups.
Link to recommendations: https://aeur.eu/f/2kq (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)