BRUSSELS -
Close the "immune gap, offer booster doses to all adults and reintroduce non-pharmaceutical measures".
These are the
interventions requested by the director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control
Andrea Amman in a note accompanying the updated opinion of the EU Agency on the epidemiological situation of Covid in Europe.
Without these interventions, Ammon warns, the impact of the Delta variant in December and January will be particularly heavy
.
The priority, underlines the ECDC, is to complete the vaccination cycle of those who are not yet immunized.
"We have safe and effective vaccines available - reads the note signed by Ammon - and until a larger part of the eligible population is immunized, non-pharmaceutical interventions must continue to be part of our daily routine". "Countries - adds the director of the ECD - should also consider a booster dose for all adults aged 18 and over, with priority for people over the age of 40. The booster dose is recommended no earlier than six months after completing the first cycle ".
The ECDC analysis confirms that
between December and January there is a risk of "a large number of new hospital admissions of unvaccinated individuals"
and "the current overall level of diffusion of vaccination will be insufficient to limit the burden of COVID cases- 19 and hospital admissions ", especially in" countries with lower vaccination levels ", which" are those at the highest risk ".
"Currently - continues Ammon -
less than 70% of the population of all EU countries and the European Economic Area has been fully vaccinated"
.
This, he continues, "leaves a large vaccination gap that cannot be bridged quickly and offers ample room for the virus to spread."
"We must - urges Ammon - focus urgently on closing this immune gap, offer booster doses to all adults and reintroduce non-pharmaceutical measures".