"The European Commission's proposals on the climate and energy package (Fit for 55) can be the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccination against high energy prices," said the spokesman on health and environment of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), Dr. med. Peter Liese, in view of the discussion on high energy prices at the European Council on Wednesday and Thursday. "We must take serious that many people are being hit hard by the rise in energy prices and short-term aid is unavoidable. But we should not shelve the medium and long-term climate change agenda.
Today, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended a third vaccination against the coronavirus for the BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. A third vaccination, or booster vaccination, is especially necessary for immunocompromised persons, as they are not sufficiently protected by the first vaccination. It should be administered at the earliest 28 days after the second vaccination. For persons over 18 years of age with a healthy immune system, this booster vaccination should be administered at the earliest six months after the second vaccination. This was pointed out by the health policy spokesman of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), Dr. med. Peter Liese: "The third vaccination is expected to benefit especially immunocompromised persons, as these persons are not optimally protected even after the second vaccination and the vaccination effect wears off after some time. It therefore makes sense to offer this group of people, in particular, a booster vaccination promptly throughout Europe. Roughly speaking, the second vaccination reduces the infection risk of 80-year-olds to that of 50-year-olds. With the third vaccination, the 80-year-olds then become a little younger in the figurative sense. This means that the risk of dying from Covid-19 is greatly minimised."
Read more: European Medicines Agency recommends third vaccination by BioNTech and Moderna
The European Commission today proposed extended transition periods for certain in vitro medical devices to avoid supply shortages. Already in 2017, the EU institutions agreed on a new regulation on in vitro diagnostic medical devices, which will enter into force in May 2022. This regulates market access for all medical devices for medical laboratory testing of samples derived from the human body (IVDs), such as HIV tests, pregnancy tests or corona tests. The health policy spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP-Christian Democrats), Dr. Peter Liese, welcomed the proposal. "Already before the summer break, together with colleagues from all democratic groups in the European Parliament, I wrote to the Commission in order to find a solution to any bottlenecks.The Regulation remains right, necessary and in force. The extended transition periods proposed today will ensure that patients, hospitals, research facilities and other medical institutions will continue to be equipped with all the necessary diagnostic tests after the new regulation enters into force in May 2022," said the doctor and MEP.
"Over the weekend, the European Union overtook the United States when it comes to the percentage of people that got their first shot,” announced the health spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats) Peter Liese, MD, based on data of Our World in Data. After many months of being ahead of us, the vaccination pace in the United States is very slow since already two months. On Sunday, 55.6% had gotten their first shot, in the EU is was 55.7%.
“I am very happy that after difficult months at the beginning of the year, the vaccination campaign in the European Union gained a lot of pace during the last months. Now it becomes clear that not only the pace of vaccination in the first months but also the long-term strategy is important. I am convinced that we have a good argument to explain to people still hesitating that the vaccine was properly tested in Europe. The European conditional market licencing foresees more safety than the emergency approvals in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Amongst others, it included liability for producers when they do a mistake.