The Commission’s Health Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) has signed a joint procurement Framework Contract for the supply of Paxlovid, a SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitor oral treatment for patients with COVID-19 at risk of developing severe disease. The contract is signed with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer and will run for an initial period of 12 months. Thirteen […]
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HERA secures up to 2 million doses of the monkeypox vaccine
The Commission’s Health Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), has signed a Joint Procurement Framework contract with the company Bavarian Nordic, for the supply of up to 2 million doses of the monkeypox vaccine in the course of 2023 and 2024. This offers 14 participating countries the possibility to purchase doses to address their medium- and […]
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Data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR): use of antibiotics in the EU decreases but more needs to be done
On the eve of European Antibiotics Awareness Day (EAAD), a pan-European survey on antimicrobial resistance shows that half of Europeans still incorrectly believe that antibiotics kill viruses. At the same time, 23 % of respondents have taken antibiotics over the past year, the lowest figure since 2009 and clearly showing that the work of Member States […]
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European Health Union: building a stronger EU health response
Today, the Council has adopted the final building blocks of the European Health Union: the Regulation on Serious cross-border health threats, the Regulation on the extended mandate of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the Emergency Framework Regulation to provide extra powers to the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA). These new rules complete […]
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High monkeypox vaccine acceptance among male users of smartphone-based online gay-dating apps in Europe
Male adult users of smartphone-based online gay dating apps in the European region have high acceptance of monkeypox (MPX) vaccination. At the same time, there are specific groups with a high degree of vaccine hesitancy to whom campaigns should be tailored. Here, public health providers together with community-based organisations play an important role. This is […]
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New Omicron sub-lineage likely to cause further increase in covid-19 cases
At least five EU/EEA countries have detected the circulation of the SARS-CoV-2 variant sub-lineage BQ.1 during week 40, 2022. ECDC modelling forecasts predict that BQ1 and its sub-lineage BQ1.1 will become the dominant SARS-CoV2 strains in EU/EEA by mid-November to the beginning of December 2022. This will likely contribute to an increase in the number […]
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Health Union: stronger EU response to public health emergencies
First Health Union package based on lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic finalised EU to be better prepared and able to coordinate its response to health crises Clearer rules for joint procurement of medicines and medical devices Parliament approved new measures strengthening the EU’s capacity to prevent and control the outbreak of communicable diseases and tackle […]
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Commission adopts a more flexible antitrust Informal Guidance Notice; withdraws Antitrust COVID Temporary Framework
The European Commission has adopted a revised Informal Guidance Notice that allows businesses to seek informal guidance on the application of EU competition rules to novel or unresolved questions. The revised Informal Guidance Notice provides for more flexible conditions and aims at increasing legal certainty, to the benefit of businesses seeking the guidance when assessing the […]
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Monkeypox: Commission purchases treatment courses
The Commission has secured over 10,000 treatment courses of tecovirimat to treat Monkeypox. This emergency procurement is funded by the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and channelled via rescEU to treat patients in Member States with immediate needs. Tecovirimat is produced by the pharmaceutical company Meridian/SIGA. Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “Today, with our […]
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