What's happened
EMA recommends a COVID-19 booster designed to combat the currently circulating Omicron BA.4/5 subvariants
Why it matters
The recommendation comes as Europe prepares for an expected autumn rise in infections. The EMA has endorsed a number of Omicron-adapted vaccines in recent weeks, and people may have the opportunity to choose their booster. Cooke has advised people to have confidence in whatever vaccines are offered to them.
What the papers say
Reuters and The Independent both report on the EMA's recommendation, with Reuters also including comments from Cooke. The Hill and Ars Technica report on the availability of updated COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which include protection against the Omicron BA.4/5 subvariants. The Times of Israel reports on the delivery of second-generation coronavirus vaccines to Israel, updated to better battle new variants. An article from Reuters reports on low demand for booster vaccinations against COVID-19 in Germany, with some patients waiting for a booster designed to combat the currently circulating Omicron BA.4/5 subvariants. An article from The Independent reports on warnings against overuse of the lone drug available to treat monkeypox in the US, as even a small mutation in the virus could render the pills ineffective. An article from Reuters reports on the World Health Organization's decision to no longer recommend two COVID-19 antibody therapies, sotrovimab and casirivimab-imdevimab, on the basis th
How we got here
New infections have been steadily rising in France, with the seven-day moving average of daily new cases reaching an almost five-week high of 24,042 on Thursday. France's national health body has warned of a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the country, and urged people to continue to get vaccinated to protect themselves against the virus. Demand for booster vaccinations against COVID-19 is low in Germany, with some patients waiting for a booster designed to combat the currently circulating Omicron BA.4/5 subvariants. The US Food and Drug Administration has warned against overuse of the lone drug available to treat monkeypox, saying that even a small mutation in the virus could render the pills ineffective.
More on these topics
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The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.
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The European Medicines Agency is an agency of the European Union in charge of the evaluation and supervision of medicinal products.
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
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BioNTech SE is a German biotechnology company dedicated to the development and manufacture of active immunotherapies for a patient-specific approach to the treatment of serious diseases.
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Pfizer Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation headquartered in New York City. It is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies.
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The Food and Drug Administration is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments.