Just one week after the recommendation made by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) urging countries to

start vaccination with the fourth dose (second booster dose) of the vaccine against covid-19 in people over 60 years of age and vulnerable people,

and opening the door so that this population group can receive a fifth dose in the fall, the ECDC insists, and publishes two additional documents on the

Vaccination Strategy Against Covid- 19 in the Second Semester of 2022

, and the

Operational Recommendations for the Monitoring of Respiratory Viruses in Europe.

In the first document, the ECDC warns that

mathematical models

suggest clear benefits in the early administration of the

second booster dose in people over 60 years of age.

It seems clear, according to the agency, that the increase that has been taking place in recent weeks in the number of Covid-19 cases among those over 65 years of age anticipates a new wave of the pandemic caused by the BA.4 and BA.5 variants. .

Although the document acknowledges that these variants do not seem to cause the severity that the previous BA.1 and BA.2 did,

the increase in transmission among older age groups is beginning to generate serious pathology.

The ECDC points out that, as of July 10 of this year, 12 of the 27 countries that report to this organization (members of the EU and those of the European Economic Area) have reported a

growing trend in hospitalizations or ICU admissions :

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Slovenia,

Spain

, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands and Romania.

In the specific case of Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece and Ireland, the increases are taking place both in hospitalizations and in ICU admissions.

Although the mortality rates in the EU and EEA countries have remained stable in the last five weeks, the epidemiological models handled by the ECDC indicate that the numbers of both new cases and deaths will still grow.

It must be taken into account that the ECDC report closes these data on July 10, and in the case of Spain, the latest notifications provided by the Ministry of Health show a downward trend in cases, incidence, admissions, even deaths;

not so in transfers to the ICU, which does increase slightly.

Anticipation of the waves of autumn

In any case, the center insists that in this phase of the pandemic, the objective of vaccination campaigns should be the reduction of hospitalizations, serious illness and death, as well as the protection of health systems.

People over 60 years of age and with different comorbidities are the ones most at risk of severe illness, hence the recommendations for vaccination with a second booster dose for these groups, with a

particularly significant impact in countries where the wave of BA.4 and BA.5 infections is starting or has not yet reached its peak.

As in the case of the joint recommendation of the ECDC and the EMA issued last week, the European Commission has also joined the ECDC recommendations this time.

Thus, the Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides, recalled that

"infections are growing again throughout the EU, and with this increase we are also seeing an increase in the number of serious cases,

hospital and ICU admissions and mortality.

We have to act now to respond to the current challenge and react to increase protection, also in anticipation of possible new waves in autumn and winter.

Vaccination remains our main means of protection against hospitalizations, serious disease progression and deaths caused by it.

I once again reiterate my appeal to those who have not yet received all recommended doses to receive them urgently, including a first booster dose for the entire population, and second booster doses for those over 60 and vulnerable."

Andrea Ammon

, Director of the ECDC, said: "We are aware of the

significant efforts that health authorities and society will have to make to respond to these challenges

, but now that a new wave is beginning, it is time to make a joint effort. There is an urgent need to establish robust and integrated surveillance systems in the face of a potential new pandemic, and the availability of every dose of the vaccine means that every preventable Covid-19 infection is a potential life saved."

Planning based on the local epidemiological situation

Ammon added that the

continuous monitoring of vaccination and its effectiveness is essential for the rapid detection of an eventual decrease in protection rates,

and that the planning of additional booster doses in the population groups most at risk should be based on in the local epidemiological situation.

In accordance with this latest recommendation from Ammon, the decision adopted last week in Spain by the

Public Health Commission

assuming the need to give the second reinforcement of the Covid vaccine to those over 60 years of age, but without deciding when it would be administered that dose "

to do so based on scientific evidence and the epidemiological situation"

would be the right one.

The aforementioned Public Health Commission, in which the Ministry of Health and the autonomies are represented, collected several opinions contrary to the administration of that dose now, given that the peak of the wave by the BA.4 and BA.5 variants seems be declining in Spain.

Specifically, part of the participants of the aforementioned commission advocate waiting until the fall, when the adapted vaccines arrive.

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