As Covid-19 cases are expected to rise again and Belgium prepares for its autumn vaccine campaign, the European Commission has given its approval for an updated jab.
The European Commission on Friday gave the green light to the new update of Pfizer/BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty XBB.1.5. The announcement comes two days after the European Medicines Agency's approval, which recommended authorising the adapted Comirnaty vaccine targeting the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant, which surfaced at the start of this year.
This is now the third adaptation of the vaccine to new variants. The vaccine may be administered to adults, children and infants older than six months. European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides welcomed the "timely authorisation of the updated vaccine."
"Covid-19 will circulate in parallel to seasonal influenza during the upcoming autumn and winter season, and we need to be ready. This potential double threat will put vulnerable people at increased risk and place further pressure on hospitals and healthcare workers," she said in a statement.
'Most effective tool'
In mid-August, the number of Covid-19 infections in Belgium was on the rise again, but a clearer rise in cases is expected now that the summer holidays are over, as more people go back to school and into the office.
This latest jab – of which the recommended amount is one dose – will be used throughout the EU Member States for the new vaccination campaign in autumn to prevent the situation from escalating. The adapted vaccine is also expected to increase the breadth of immunity against dominant and emerging variants.
Belgium's campaign will begin in mid-September. The vaccine will initially be offered to people over 65, people with diagnosed illnesses or weakened immunity, pregnant women and healthcare workers, totalling around 2 million people.
"Vaccination is our most effective tool against viruses, and therefore I encourage everyone eligible, especially the most vulnerable, to follow the scientific recommendations and get vaccinated as soon as possible," said Kyriakides.
For everyone else in Belgium, the additional shot is not specifically recommended but everyone is still welcome to get a dose. The vaccines will be administered by GPs, pharmacists, home nurses, labour doctors and coordinating consultant doctors in residential care centres, as vaccination centres remain closed.
