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 […]
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 […]
Fundamental rights in the EU: long-standing problems exacerbated by COVID-19
Parliament’s latest assessment of the state of fundamental rights in the EU identifies numerous concerns and demands member states act in defence of European values. On Thursday, MEPs assessed the state of fundamental values in the EU in 2020 – 2021, identifying areas of concern and proposing ways to protect freedom, equality and the rule […]
Team Europe has delivered €47.7 billion to help the pandemic
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, the EU, EU Member States and European financial institutions, as Team Europe, have disbursed €47.7 billion in support of partner countries in addressing the pandemic and its consequences, delivering on its promises with concrete results. This figure exceeds by far the initial €20 billion Team Europe support […]
ECDC-EMA statement on booster vaccination with Omicron adapted bivalent COVID-19 vaccines
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have issued a joint statement providing updated public health considerations on the use of the newly authorised adapted COVID-19 vaccines to support the planning of the autumn and winter vaccination campaigns. The EU has recently extended its arsenal with two new updated vaccines, Comirnaty […]
Commission rallies Member States to prepare for autumn and winter
The Commission is proposing concrete measures to avoid a surge of COVID-19 cases in the upcoming autumn and winter season. The Commission is urging Member States to put the necessary strategies and structures in place, including for COVID-19 vaccination and surveillance, to respond to future outbreaks in a fast and sustained manner. The main aim of […]
First adapted COVID-19 booster vaccines recommended for approval in the EU
EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended authorising two vaccines adapted to provide broader protection against COVID-19. Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 and Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 are for use in people aged 12 years and above who have received at least primary vaccination against COVID-19. These vaccines are adapted versions of the original vaccines Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech) […]
COVID-19 vaccines: Commission and Moderna delivery schedules
The European Commission and Moderna have reached an agreement to better address Member States needs for COVID-19 vaccines for the late summer and winter period. This will ensure national authorities have access to the vaccines, including variant-adapted vaccines if authorised, at the time they need them for their own vaccination campaigns and to support their […]
Joint Procurement contract HIPRA for Covid-19
HERA, the European Commission’s Health Preparedness and Response Authority, has signed a joint procurement Framework Contract with the company HIPRA HUMAN HEALTH for the supply of their protein COVID-19 vaccine. 14 Member States and countries are participating in this joint procurement, under which they can purchase up to 250 million doses. As the number of cases is […]