Vaccines are continuing to prevent many millions of EU citizens from becoming very ill or dying and figures show that numbers of hospitalisations and deaths remain lowest in those Member States with the highest vaccination rates.
Due to a raise in #COVID19 infections and hospitalisations, we urge all EU citizens to get fully vaccinated and to adhere to recent recommendations on booster vaccination for #COVID19.
Recommendations on booster doses in our latest Rapid Risk Assessment: bit.ly/RRACOVID17
Evidence from studies on heterologous vaccination suggests that the combination of viral vector vaccines and mRNA vaccines produces good levels of antibodies against #SARSCoV2 & a higher T-cell response than using the same vaccine.
Providing all eligible individuals with the recommended dose regimen should remain the current
priority for #COVID19 vaccination programmes in the EU/EEA.
All vaccines authorised in the EU/EEA are highly protective against COVID19 related hospitalisation, severe disease & death.
Administering an additional vaccine dose to people who may experience a limited response to the primary #COVID19 vaccination, such as some categories
of immunocompromised individuals, should already be considered now.
With the increasing circulation of the #DeltaVariant in EU/EEA, #EMA & #ECDC strongly encourage those who are eligible for vaccination but have not yet been vaccinated to start and complete the recommended #COVID19 vaccination schedule soon.
Full vaccination with any of the approved vaccines = a high level of protection against severe disease and death.
The highest level of protection is achieved after enough time (7-14 days) after the last dose.
We have recently updated our guidance on face masks' use.
1. Their use in the community could be considered, especially when visiting busy, closed spaces - such as grocery stores, shopping centres, or when using public transport.
2. They should be considered only as a 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗬 measure, not as a replacement for #PhysicalDistancing, cough and sneeze etiquette, #HandHygiene & avoiding touching of one's face.
3. 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥! Proper use of any mask (including the home-made ones) is 𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟, as failing to put it on or off safely may lead to an increase of probability of getting infected with #SARSCoV2!