BRIEF-EMA Says Becoming Increasingly Clear That A Booster Dose Needed To Extend Vaccine Protection

European Medicines Agency:

* EMA SAYS INTERNATIONAL REGULATORS' RECOMMENDATIONS ON COVID-19 VACCINES AND THE OMICRON VARIANT * EMA: VACCINATION CONTINUES TO OFFER CONSIDERABLE PROTECTION FROM HOSPITALISATION AND SEVERE COVID-19 WITH OMICRON, ESPECIALLY AFTER A BOOSTER DOSE

* EMA: IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT A BOOSTER DOSE IS NEEDED TO EXTEND VACCINE PROTECTION * EMA SAYS REVIEWING DATA ON IMPACT OF OMICRON, PARTICIPANTS CONCLUDED CURRENT VACCINES OFFER LESS PROTECTION AGAINST INFECTION AND MILD DISEASE CAUSED BY OMICRON VARIANT

* EMA: THERE IS A NEED TO DEVELOP A LONG-TERM STRATEGY ON THE TYPES OF VACCINES NEEDED TO MANAGE COVID-19 IN THE FUTURE * EMA: MEETING PARTICIPANTS AGREED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF MULTIPLE BOOSTER DOSES AT SHORT INTERVALS IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH IN THE LONGER TERM

* EMA: WITH RESPECT TO UPDATED VACCINE COMPOSITIONS, GLOBAL REGULATORS ENCOURAGE DEVELOPERS TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO MONOVALENT VACCINES * EMA: IN REGULATORS' VIEW, COS SHOULD EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING BIVALENT OR MULTIVALENT VARIANT VACCINES TO DETERMINE IF THEY OFFER ADVANTAGES TO MONOVALENT VACCINES