EMA continues to watch rising knowledge on the effectiveness of vaccines in opposition to COVID-19, together with illness brought on by the Omicron variant which is now spreading quickly throughout the EU.
Though Omicron seems to be extra infectious than different variants, research from South Africa, UK and a few EU international locations present a decrease danger of being hospitalised after an infection with Omicron; based mostly on these research, the chance is at present estimated to be between a 3rd and half of the chance with the Delta variant.
Outcomes from just lately printed research present that vaccine effectiveness in opposition to symptomatic illness is decrease for Omicron than for different variants and tends to wane over time. Consequently, extra vaccinated persons are prone to develop breakthrough illness attributable to Omicron.
Nevertheless, these research additionally present that vaccination continues to offer a excessive stage of safety in opposition to extreme illness and hospitalisation linked to the Omicron variant. The newest proof, which incorporates real-world effectiveness knowledge, additionally means that individuals who have had a booster dose are higher protected than those that have solely obtained their major course. Knowledge from South Africa point out that individuals who have obtained two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have as much as 70% safety for hospitalisation; comparable knowledge from the UK reveals that whereas safety declines a couple of months after vaccination, safety from hospitalisation rises once more to 90% after a booster shot.
EMA will proceed to evaluate knowledge on vaccine effectiveness and severity of the illness, in addition to the evolving panorama by way of circulating variants and pure publicity to Omicron, as they develop into accessible. The result of those assessments could influence future vaccination methods beneficial by specialists in EU/EEA Member States.
EMA emphasises that vaccination stays a vital a part of the method to combating the continued pandemic. In step with suggestions by nationwide authorities, efforts ought to proceed to extend full vaccination uptake in people who’re at present unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and to speed up the roll-out of booster doses.