The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimated on Thursday that high levels of adherence to the Covid-19 vaccine among people over 60 could prevent between 21% and 32% of hospital admissions.
At a joint press conference with the European Medicines Agency (EMA), ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said the European center’s modeling shows that “a vaccination campaign against Covid-19 in the autumn, with a high level of vaccine adherence and targeting individuals 60 years and older could prevent approximately 21% to 32% of all hospital admissions related to the disease by February 2024” in European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries.
“We will soon see the arrival of autumn and winter, during which we expect a resurgence of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV),” he said, also highlighting that there has been an increase in the transmission of Covid-19 in the EU. EMA, anticipating “which will circulate together in the coming months”.
Asked about the timing of the vaccination campaigns, Andrea Ammon emphasized that they depend on the epidemiological situation of each country, noting that vaccines adapted to new variants of Covid-19, influenza and RSV are already on the market and should be administered ‘as quickly as possible’. possible.”as soon as possible”.
“The best moment is now: the vaccination period begins, but campaigns in Member States depend on the circulation of viruses and the epidemiological situation,” he said.
The ECDC head also added that the center has “received virus surveillance data” but called for more testing, especially in a hospital setting.
Regarding SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, the EMA has recommended the approval of two vaccines adapted to the most recent strains, from the Pfizer (Cominarty) and Moderna (Spikevax) laboratories, and of new medicines.
Source: DN
