Surging Covid-19 cases urge use of booster shot vaccines in Europe

Soaring coronavirus cases have broken past records in Europe, once again putting the continent at the epicenter of the pandemic.

As a result of unprecedented events, health experts have been stressing upon the need to widen the use of booster shots across various parts of Europe along with new, more stringent curbs in motion.

Some parts of Europe that reported maximum hike in Covid-19 cases till date include Slovakia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Hungary as winter approaches and Christmas preparations result in more indoor gatherings, creating a perfect environment for Covid-19 to spread.

New highs reported a 23% surge in infections last week across America, primarily North America, anticipating the likeliness of a stronger comeback of new cases in near future.

Ever since its emergence two years ago, with China being the originating site, the pandemic has swept the world rendering no region untouched and leaving more than 258 million people infected and 5.4 million fatalities.

Owing to the recent resurgence in infections, the EU public health agency along with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are reformulating the previously deployed guidelines.

The need for vaccine boosters is among those redrafted guidelines.

Initially, the agencies had established the need for extra doses for senior citizens and those with weak immunity. Now vaccine boosters are recommended to all adults, particularly prioritizing the 40 above age group.

On a short-term basis, Israel and the UK corroborate that a booster dose enhances protection against life threatening infection and severe disease across all age groups, according to ECDC.

With different models in place, several EU countries are providing booster doses adhering to their individually unique criteria of time and age group.

According to Andrea Ammon, head of ECDC, boosters can significantly amplify protection against infections that thrive on waning immunity and possess the capabilities to potentially diminish the risk of transmission thus preventing deaths and additions hospitalizations.

Slovakia saw the world’s fastest rise in cases, reporting highest number of infections, boosting the government to deploy a two-week lockdown.

Source Credits: https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/covid-cases-records-europe-booster-vaccination-shots-1880500-2021-11-25