The drug regulator of the European Union yesterday approved combining different types of vaccines against the coronavirus.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) indicated that the use of different types of immunizations, a process known as heterologous vaccination, can offer protection against COVID-19.
The announcement comes as virus cases, hospitalizations and fears over the new Omicron variant are increasing in much of Europe.
The EMA, along with the European Center for Disease Control, claimed that the use of various vaccines could give countries more options in their immunization campaigns as the continent tries to slow the spread of the virus.
“The evidence available so far with the different types of authorized doses indicates that heterologous vaccines have the same or better effect, in terms of immune response, than homologous ones.”
The United States and the United Kingdom have already approved the use of different types of doses.
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The WHO asked yesterday that children be better protected, currently very affected by the wave of coronavirus that hits Europe and considered that mandatory immunization of the population should be the last option.
The WHO, which fears an additional 500,000 deaths in Europe through spring, estimates that more than 120,000 people have died from COVID-19 since the end of November, when it released its advisory on vaccination.
On the other hand, the main epidemiologist of the White House, Anthony Fauci, said yesterday that there are indications that the Omicron variant could cause a “less serious” disease of COVID, according to preliminary data available.
Even so, Fauci was cautious during the press conference of the working group against the pandemic of the US government and insisted that there will be no more definitive data for at least “a couple of weeks.”
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