COVID-19 Vaccines Are Effective Against Severe Disease

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) announced today 'they strongly encourage those eligible for vaccination but have not yet been vaccinated to start and complete the recommended COVID-19 vaccination schedule.'

For Comirnaty, Spikevax, and Vaxzevria vaccines, it involves two doses. For COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen, only one dose is required.

The highest level of protection is achieved after enough time (7 to 14 days) has passed from the day of the last vaccine dose.

Full vaccination with EU/EEA-approved vaccines offers a high level of protection against severe disease and death caused by SARS-CoV-2, including coronavirus variants, such as Delta.

Although the effectiveness of all COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the EU/EEA is very high, no vaccine is 100% effective.

Mike Catchpole, ECDC Chief Scientist, stated in a press release issued on August 4, 20921, “While the available vaccines are highly effective in protecting people against severe COVID-19 until higher proportions of the population are immunized, the risk is not beyond us."

"We are now witnessing an increasing number of COVID-19 cases across the EU/EEA, and vaccines remain the best available option to avoid an increase in severe disease and death.”

This means that a limited number of SARS-CoV-2 reinfections among persons who have completed the recommended vaccination schedule (‘breakthrough infections’) are expected. However, vaccines can prevent severe disease to a large extent when infections do occur and greatly reduce the number of people in hospital due to COVID-19.

The ECDC is an EU agency aimed at strengthening Europe's defenses against infectious diseases. The core functions cover a wide spectrum of activities: surveillance, epidemic intelligence, response, scientific advice, microbiology, preparedness, public health training, international relations, health communication, and the scientific journal Eurosurveillance.