European health agencies back second Covid booster for over-60s

European health agencies have recommended extending eligibility for second booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines to those over the age of 60 as highly transmissible variants drive up hospital admissions across the continent.

The European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said on Monday that a further shot should be considered for people in that age bracket and anyone with pre-existing conditions. For most, this would be a fourth shot of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The agencies said a “new wave” was under way in Europe, “with increasing rates of hospital and intensive care unit admissions”. The second boosters would be administered at least four months after the previous one, with those who received a previous booster more than six months ago given priority, the health bodies said.

“I call on member states to roll out second boosters for everyone over the age of 60 as well as all vulnerable persons immediately and urge everyone eligible to come forth and get vaccinated,” said European health commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

The guidance issued by the agencies acts as a general signal to member states who formulate domestic health policy.

The BA.5 Omicron sub-variant has fuelled a fresh wave of infections across much of the world. In the past week, Covid hospital admissions in France, England and several other European countries have grown by 40 per cent, 34 per cent and more than 20 per cent, respectively, Financial Times analysis published on Sunday showed. Hospital admissions also increased in the US over the same period, albeit at a slower rate than in Europe at 6 per cent.

Some Chinese cities have also reimposed curbs in the face of an increase in infections.

The announcement by European agencies was also notable because it marked support for the wider use of currently available mRNA shots before the rollout of Omicron-targeted versions later this year. The jabs tailored to tackle that coronavirus variant have been backed by the World Health Organization as well as EU and US regulators.

Emer Cooke, head of the EMA, said the agency expected to be able to approve Omicron-targeted shots in September.

The shots available at present are based on the ancestral coronavirus strain as it first appeared in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Those shots retain good efficacy against severe outcomes, including death, but increasingly diminished efficacy against transmission and milder disease as the virus continues to mutate.

The EMA and ECDC did not back second boosters for the general population, saying there was at present no clear evidence to support the move. They had previously said those over the age of 80 should get second boosters.

Elsewhere, the UK limits second booster shots, also known as spring boosters, to those over the age of 75 and those who live in care homes. NHS leaders are planning a campaign in the autumn that will push down the minimum age at least to 65 and perhaps as low as 50.

The US recommends second booster shots for those over the age of 50. Both countries say those aged 12 and over who are immunocompromised should receive one.

Evidence from studies conducted in hamsters shows BA.5 appears to be better at infecting lung tissue compared with other Omicron sublineages, which may yield higher rates of pneumonia.

However, a study conducted in South Africa, published over the weekend, said disease severity for BA.5 was similar to the first Omicron wave, though the country’s population is on average younger than that of Europe. Neither study has been peer-reviewed and should for now be considered as preliminary.