Urgent European Recommendation on COVID-19

The European Commission and health agencies of the European Union have recommended administering a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals aged over 60, after previously limiting it to those aged 80 and above, to mitigate a "widespread wave" of the virus. European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides stated: "I urge member states to immediately offer the second booster dose to all individuals over the age of 60 and those at risk, and I call on all eligible individuals to get vaccinated." The recommendation also applies to all high-risk individuals, as noted in a joint statement from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency. The number of COVID-19 cases has increased sharply since the end of May, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization for the European region, which includes about 50 countries.