Vaccines against COVID are currently highly protective, European Medicines Agency (EMA) told Report, commenting on the new Mu coronavirus strain.
“The evidence on vaccine effectiveness and duration of protection shows that all vaccines authorized in the EU/EEA are currently highly protective against COVID-19-related hospitalization, severe disease and death,” EMA noted.
“In this situation, the priority now should be to vaccinate all those eligible individuals who have not yet completed their recommended vaccination course,” added the agency.
To complement vaccination efforts, it is also crucial to continue applying measures such as physical distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene, and using face masks where needed, in particular in high-risk settings such as long-term care facilities or hospital wards with patients at risk of severe COVID-19, EMA noted.
“EMA has requested all vaccine developers to investigate if their vaccine can offer protection against any new variants,” EMA concluded.