The European Medicines Agency (EMA) warned on Wednesday that the pandemic “is not over yet” and the mutation of the virus that causes COVID-19 it is “faster” than the process of updating the vaccines. For this reason, he warned that a “new wave is expected in the coming weeks” due to new subvariants of Ómicron.
In a virtual press conference, Marco Cavaleri, head of Vaccination Strategy at the EMA, explained that, a month after the arrival of autumn, “we are already seeing a general increase in cases of COVID-19 and in the death toll” for this disease in Europe, as well as an increase in hospitalizations of patients over 65 years of age.
“A new wave is expected in the coming weeks caused by Omicron subvariants, according to data collected by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The pandemic is not over yet and we are still in a global emergency,” he said.
According to @ECDC_EUa new wave is expected in the coming weeks, due to new #Omicron subvariants
❗️The pandemic is not yet over.
We urge citizens to get vaccinated now, especially if your health situation puts you at higher risk of severe #COVID19. #EMAPresser— EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) October 26, 2022
The Ómicron subvariant known as BQ1 has already been identified in at least five European countries and, according to the ECDC, it threatens to become predominant in late November or early December. Although it is not clear if it will cause a more serious COVID-19, “it is known that it has a high capacity to avoid the immunity obtained by vaccination or natural contagion, including with Ómicron”.
The detected mutation of SAR-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, shows that the virus is “faster than we can be in adapting vaccines” and, furthermore, only the action of the doses “when the difference between the strains in circulation and the composition of the vaccines is greater”.
Additionally, both SAR-CoV-2 and the flu virus are expected to circulate at the same time this fall and winter, increasing the risk for the most vulnerable people.
It is expected that #SARSCoV2 & #flu will circulate at the same time this autumn and winter.
❗️Vulnerable people will be at increased risk.
Joint vaccination campaigns are taking place in many ?? countries. We urge eligible citizens to take advantage of it. #EMAPresser— EU Medicines Agency (@EMA_News) October 26, 2022
Given this situation, the most urgent recommendations of the EMA continue to be to receive the joint flu and COVID-19 vaccination, especially risk groups, that is, people whose health status puts them at greater risk of developing a disease severe, including those over 60 years of age, pregnant women, and patients with comorbidities.
The EMA also recommends vaccinating children with underlying diseases to protect them against hospitalization and death caused by severe COVID-19, although the decision on starting the vaccination campaign for the youngest depends on the Member States of the Union. European (EU).
The EMA last week endorsed the use of the original Pfizer (Comirnaty) and Moderna (Spikevax) vaccines to protect children between 6 months and 5 years of age from COVID-19, although in smaller doses than those recommended for the rest of the adults.
