EMA starts rolling review of COVID-19 Vaccine HIPRA EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has started a rolling review of COVID-19 Vaccine HIPRA (also known as PHH-1V). This protein-based vaccine is being developed by HIPRA Human Health S.L.U. as a booster vaccine for adults who have already been fully vaccinated with a different COVID-19 vaccine. The CHMP’s […]
Read MoreNegotiations for the international treaty on pandemics
The Council adopted a decision to authorise the opening of negotiations for an international agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. The decision also clears the way for negotiating complementary amendments to the International Health Regulations. The decision authorises the Commission, for matters falling within Union competence, to negotiate an international agreement on pandemic prevention, […]
Read MoreCOVID-19 research and public health, EU priorities
70.9% of adolescents aged 15-17 years and 34.8% of those aged 10-14 years completed the primary course of vaccination against COVID-19, albeit with a wide range among EU/EEA countries. More than half of adolescents aged 10-17 years in the EU/EEA have not yet completed the primary course. Although the risk of hospitalization, ICU admission, and […]
Read MoreEU and Spain in the global action plan against COVID-19
In the COVID-19 Global Action Meeting, convened by US Secretary of State Blinken and gathering the EU, represented by Commissioner Urpilainen, and other partner countries, participants discussed yesterday a ‘COVID-19 Global Action Plan’. The objective is to help coordinate actions and mobilise resources in six priority areas in relation to the global COVID-19 response to […]
Read MoreBrussels proposes to extend the EU Digital COVID Certificate by one year
As the COVID-19 virus continues to prevail in Europe and at this stage it is not possible to determine the impact of a possible increase in infections in the second half of 2022 or the emergence of new variants, the European Commission has proposed to extend the Digital COVID Certificate until 30 June 2023. The […]
Read MoreEU proposes new rules for clinical trials
As of January 31, the evaluation and monitoring processes for clinical trials began to be harmonized throughout the EU, especially through the Clinical Trials Information System, managed by the European Medicines Agency. On this date, the Clinical Trials Regulation will enter into force, which will improve the way clinical trials are conducted in the EU, […]
Read MoreAntimicrobial resistance remains a health threat in Europe
The first Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Europe report published jointly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe on 26 January 2022, provides a pan-European overview of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) situation in the European region, featuring data from 2020. The report presents a regional and […]
Read MoreEuropean Health Union: a stronger role for the European Medicines Agency
As part of the on-going work to build a strong European Health Union, the Council has adopted the Regulation revising the mandate of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), taking an important step towards EMA’s reinforcement in crisis preparedness and management for medicinal products and medical devices. The new rules will allow the Agency to closely […]
Read MoreEfficient tracing of Omicron with new PCR test
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has developed a new detection method specific for the Omicron variant. The method has been successfully validated in silico, based on bioinformatics. The JRC now invites control laboratories worldwide to validate it in vivo on clinical samples. Following the recent emergence of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, Omicron, […]
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