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COVID-19 VACCINES

EU approves new dual-strain Covid vaccines in time for autumn booster campaigns

The European Medicines Agency has approved two new Covid vaccines that are designed to protect against both the original strain of the virus and the new Omicron variants.

Published: 1 September 2022 15:33 CEST
EU approves new dual-strain Covid vaccines in time for autumn booster campaigns
Photo by Pascal POCHARD-CASABIANCA / AFP

Both Pfizer and Moderna had submitted applications for their dual-strain vaccines to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in mid-July, with the agency announcing on Thursday that both had been approved.

The vaccines target both the Omicron variant and the original strain of Covid, but do not specifically target the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants that have emerged as the global dominant strains in recent months.

The EMA approval comes after the US approved both vaccines on Wednesday, while the UK approved the Moderna dual-strain vaccine in mid-August.

Within the EU, countries have the choice of accepting the EMA recommendation straight out, or asking their own domestic health regulator to give its approval.

The dual-strain vaccines are widely expected to be used in Covid booster shot campaigns this autumn, which many countries plan to combine with the annual flu vaccination drive. 

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COVID-19

French health authority recommends autumn Covid vaccine campaign

France's health regulator has called for an autumn Covid-19 vaccination campaign for at-risk groups, putting the Covid vaccine on a similar footing the the flu shot, which is administered annually to certain groups.

Published: 24 February 2023 14:57 CET
French health authority recommends autumn Covid vaccine campaign

France’s health authority, the Haute autorité de Santé (HAS) released its recommendations for 2023, and advised an autumn vaccination campaign against Covid-19 for persons at-risk of developing a severe form of the disease.

It recommends that an autumn Covid vaccine campaign be run alongside the seasonal flu vaccine drives, targeting people at risk from Covid – over 65s, people with long-term illnesses or conditions and pregnant women. 

The recommendation is that the most vulnerable individuals – including immunocompromised people, those aged over 80 years old, and those at very high risk of contracting Covid-19 – could be offered another booster in the spring depending “on the state of their health and their level of vaccine protection”.

French health authorities also clarified that there should be at least six months between doses, and that it will be the bivalent mRNA vaccines (ex Pfizer and Moderna) which will be prioritised.

The HAS can only issue recommendations, any final decision is up to the government.

Nevertheless, immunologist, Stéphane Paul, told Le Parisien: “I think that we will go for an annual vaccination for at-risk populations”, an idea that has already been recommended in other parts of the world, including in England.

Current Covid-19 recommendations in France

As of February 1st, France relaxed some of its Covid-19 rules, as it brought an end to compulsory isolation for those who test positive for the virus.

On February 15th, the country also dropped the requirement that those travelling from China to France present a negative test taken 48 hours before the flight to board the plane.

READ MORE: What Covid rules and recommendations remain for visiting France?

This means that, as of February 2023, there are no Covid-related restrictions on arrivals into France from any country.

Masks remain ‘strongly recommended’ on public transport but are not compulsory anywhere in the country, with the exception of certain healthcare settings. 

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