Delta Strain Will Soon Dominate – Has Made Recommendations About Biggest Dangers

Professor Mindaugas Stankūnas, from the Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, reviewing the recommendations, highlighted the following key points in his Facebook post:

• Vaccination is one of the best means of protection against COVID-19.
• The EMA and ECDC encourage citizens of the European Union to get vaccinated and to do so according to the full vaccination plan (the required number of vaccine doses).
• ECDC forecasts that by the end of August, the Delta variety will account for 90 percent. of all SARS-CoV-2 viruses circulating in the EU.
• The delta variety is 40 to 60 percent. more contagious than the Alpha strain and may have a higher risk of hospitalization.
• Preliminary evidence suggests that two doses of the Comirnaty, Spikevax, or Vaxzevria vaccine are needed to obtain the necessary protection against the Delta strain.
• Countries can adopt their own local strategies for the intervals between the first and second doses of vaccines, taking into account the epidemiological situation, the prevailing strains of the virus, and future scientific evidence on the efficacy of vaccines.
• For the time being, the EMA and ECDC refrain from making clear recommendations to mix different vaccines for the first and second doses. However, data from Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom show that such a mixture of vaccines gives a good immune response and does not have safety concerns.
• It is not yet possible to confirm whether a third dose of the vaccine (booster) will be needed. Scientific data is awaited to understand how long the protective effects of vaccines last.
• Other measures, such as the use of masks and social distancing, should continue at a level sufficient to contain the spread of the Delta variant until a sufficient proportion of the population has been vaccinated to avoid an increase in cases and a possible increase in hospitalizations. and deaths.
• The EMA and ECDC reiterate the need to vaccinate as many people as possible against COVID-19.