The European Medicines Agency (EMA) notes that an additional dose may be considered as a precautionary measure for the elderly or sick, as well as for people belonging to vulnerable groups. He emphasized, however, that guidance on national vaccination campaigns remained the responsibility of technical advisory teams in each country.
As noted in a relevant announcement, Coreper evaluates the data for additional or booster installments. It added that while the data were being evaluated, "Member States could schedule additional and additional doses".
The announcement, which follows the findings of an interim technical report issued by the European Center for Prevention (ECDC), also notes that the completion of vaccination of all those who have not yet completed their vaccination regimen remains a priority, and that protective measures such as compliance natural distances and mask use should be continued.
In particular, Coreper says that on the basis of the ECDC findings "there is no urgent need to administer booster doses to the general population and fully vaccinated individuals", but that "additional dosing should be considered in severely immunocompromised individuals". system as part of their initial vaccination ".
Coreper notes that data to date on the effectiveness of vaccines show that all vaccines approved in the European Union offer "high protection against hospitalization, serious illness and death" in relation to the coronavirus. However, as one in three adults over the age of 18 has not yet fully completed their vaccination regimen, "the priority now should be to vaccinate all individuals who have not yet completed their recommended vaccination regimen."
The importance of continuing the implementation of protective measures such as physical distancing, cleanliness and hand hygiene and the use of protective masks in high-risk areas is also emphasized.
In its announcement, Coreper separates the cases of people with a normal immune system (where it talks about boosting doses) from those of people with a weakened immune system (where it refers to additional doses).
For immunocompromised individuals (such as organ transplant recipients), some studies suggest that an additional dose may improve the immune response, and that an additional dose should already be considered. It is also added that the prophylactic provision of an additional dose to the elderly sick persons and especially to persons living in closed structures could be considered.
The European Medicines Agency emphasizes that National Immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs) are responsible for guiding vaccination campaigns in each country, as they are aware of the conditions in each country, including the spread of the virus (especially any variants that cause concern), the availability of vaccines and the specificities of national Health Systems ".
Coreper, as well as the ECDC, call for continued monitoring of vaccine efficacy data, especially among vulnerable groups and those living in closed structures, and call on Member States to be prepared for possible adjustments to their vaccination plans should There has been a significant reduction in the effectiveness of vaccines in one or more groups of the population.