The need for non-pharmacological interventions as an immediate measure to control coronavirus transmission in combination with the introduction of booster vaccine doses for adults, preferably in people 40 years of age and older, at least six months after completion of the main vaccination program, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) points out in its Communication on the assessment of the COVID situation. Booster doses will maintain control of transmission beyond the immediate effect of non-pharmacological measures, the ECDC says.
The festive season at the end of the year is traditionally associated with activities such as social gatherings, shopping and travel, which create significant additional risks for the intensive transmission of Delta, he notes.
Predictive models examining vaccine intake (including “over-the-counter” and “booster” vaccines), vaccine efficacy, attenuation of post-vaccine immunity, pediatric immunization, natural immunity, and contact rates, show that the potential risk to the disease in the EU / EEA from the Delta variant is expected to be very high in December and January, unless non-pharmacological interventions are now implemented in conjunction with continuous efforts to increase vaccination in the general population.
An increase in cases, hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for SARS-CoV-2 was observed in October and early November in most countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area after a period of decline in August and September 2021. This is related to the release of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in the context of inadequate vaccine uptake and extensive relaxation of non-pharmacological interventions. While the burden of COVID-19 is particularly high in some countries with low vaccination rates, there is evidence of an increasing burden even among countries with higher rates. The current epidemiological situation is largely due to the high transmissibility of the Delta variant, which offsets the reduction in transmission achieved by the current vaccination development in the EU / EEA.
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