European Regulator Sees No Urgent Need of Booster Shots for Those Fully Vaccinated

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd September, 2021) The European Medical Agency (EMA) on Thursday said there is no urgent need to administer booster shots to those fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as the vaccines authorized in Europe are at present highly effective against the virus.

"Based on current evidence, there is no urgent need for the administration of booster doses of vaccines to fully vaccinated individuals in the general population," the regulator said in a release, citing a report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

In the report, the ECDC stated that boosters are for fully vaccinated people to restore protection after it immunity has waned. On the other hand, additional doses may be given to those with severely weakened immune systems, as they may not achieve an adequate level of protection from the Primary vaccination.

"Some studies report that an additional vaccine dose can improve the immune response in immunocompromised individuals, such as organ transplant recipients whose initial responses to vaccination were low. In such cases, the option of administering an additional dose should be considered already now," EMA added.

The agency said it was presently assessing data on additional doses to consider whether updates to product information were appropriate. However, it urged member states to consider preparatory plans for administering boosters and additional doses.

EMA also pressed for continued COVID-19 measures to complement vaccination efforts while urging eligible individuals to take the full course of vaccination.

Meanwhile, the European Union has reached its goal of full COVID-19 vaccination of 70% of the adult population.