Europe races to inject the third dose of Covid-19 vaccine

The number of infections in Europe is increasing.

Entering the second winter of the pandemic, governments once again face a difficult task: Trying to reduce infection rates, save lives, protect fragile health systems, and avoid

Last month, 23 European countries reintroduced social distancing and quarantine measures to prevent the Delta variant from spreading.

On the regulatory side, EMA supports countries to approve a third dose of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for all people over 18 years old, supporting countries to expand vaccination programs if there is a need.

During a press conference on November 4, Cavaleri said expanding the third dose to the general population is the `next step` to help the world escape the pandemic.

Since September, most European countries such as Germany, France, England, Belgium, and Austria have administered the third dose of vaccine to vulnerable, elderly, and immunocompromised people.

Citing a German study, Leif Erik Sander, head of the immunology and vaccine expert group at the Berlin Charité Research Institute, said 40% of people over 70 years old no longer have neutralizing antibodies 6 months after vaccination.

Israel was one of the first countries to decide to vaccinate with a third dose, providing lessons for many countries.

`Severe cases are increasing exponentially, so we need to act quickly,` Ms. Alroy-Preis said of the booster vaccination program.

Studies show that giving a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine 11 months after the second dose restores immunity levels, helping to fight symptomatic Covid-19 cases.

In Germany, Health Minister Jens Spahn proposed giving a third dose to all adults.

`The ICU will receive fewer patients if the number of vaccinated people increases,` Mr. Spahn commented at a press conference on November 4.

Medical staff prepare a dose of Covid-19 vaccine at the Dresden Fair, Dresden, Germany, July 29.

Greece moved more quickly.

For countries that have administered the third dose since August, such as Hungary, the government is even considering administering the fourth dose in the coming winter months.

In the UK, more than 9 million people have had a booster shot.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week updated guidance stating that people susceptible to nCoV infection may be eligible for a fourth dose of vaccine early next year.

`We are monitoring further, but we cannot rule out the possibility that a fourth dose will be needed in the near future for immunocompromised people,` Cavaleri said.

EMA is collecting data and will soon make recommendations on this issue.

Meanwhile, health systems across countries face a logistical battle, because vaccine doses vary between children and adults, and health care needs across the region are increasing.

On the one hand, many people still question whether a third dose of vaccine is really necessary, especially for young people with healthy immune systems.

Leif Erik Sander, a vaccine and infectious disease expert at Charite hospital in Berlin, Germany, said doctors and nurses were exhausted.