Covid-19: vaccination alone will not be enough, warns the European disease agency

Europe 1 with AFP 3:57 p.m., December 15, 2021, modified at 4:03 p.m., December 15, 2021

"Strong action" is "urgent" in the face of the rapid progression of the Omicron variant because "vaccination alone will not be enough," warned the European epidemic agency on Wednesday.

"In the current situation, vaccination alone will not allow us to prevent the impact of the Omicron variant, as there is no time to fill the still existing vaccination gaps", said the director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Andrea Ammon, in a video address.

A "very high" risk of the new variant for public health

The European Union health agency has also raised its assessment of the risks of the new variant to public health by a notch, to "very high", recommending a series of measures including a return to telework and increased caution. during end-of-year celebrations and trips. According to her, it is "very likely" that the new variant will cause hospitalizations and deaths in addition to those already predicted by previous forecasts centered on the hitherto dominant Delta variant.

To keep the burden on the health system "manageable", the ECDC once again called for a "rapid reintroduction and strengthening" of so-called "non-pharmaceutical" measures against Covid, a term covering restrictions in general.

"There is an urgent need for strong action to be put in place to reduce transmission, ease the heavy burden on health systems and protect the most vulnerable in the coming months," adds the agency, which covers the 27 countries of the EU, Norway and Iceland.

Use all anti-Covid-19 tools

The Omicron variant is spreading "at a rate that we have never seen with any other variant," the World Health Organization (WHO) had already warned on Tuesday, calling for the use of all anti-Covid tools to prevent them. health systems are quickly overwhelmed as the holiday season approaches.

For the ECDC, using masks, teleworking, avoiding overcrowding in places and public transport, staying at home when you are sick, ventilating and maintaining a high level of hygiene "remain a priority".

For probable or confirmed cases of Omicron, tracing should also be a priority, and testing remains "an important tool" even when people are vaccinated, as does the isolation of Covid-19 positive cases.