Europe is at a turning point in the course of the pandemic, the World Health Organization has said, warning that the coronavirus is spreading rapidly across the continent and the arrival of a new variant has created an "alarming situation".
Hans Kluge, WHO director for Europe, said that while the advent of vaccines provided "new tools" to fight the virus, almost half of the 53 countries in the region were reporting a seven-day incidence rate of more than 150 cases. new per 100,000 people while a quarter recorded an increase of more than 10% of cases over the past week.
Kluge said countries that have the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine can be flexible about the days between first and second doses, saying a balance needs to be struck between maximizing utilization of limited supplies and protecting as much as possible. people as possible.
Some countries, including Britain, are seeking to counter low vaccine supplies by extending the time between first and second doses to 12 weeks and considering lower-dose doses for some people.
Proposals to extend the days between the first and second dose have sparked heated debate among scientists. Pfizer and BioNTech warn that they have no evidence that their vaccine will continue to be protective if the second dose is given more than 21 days after the first.
The mutation has been detected in 22 European countries, Kluge said, adding that there is currently no major change in the disease, but the transmission of the new variant is a cause for concern.
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Sources: Guardian, Euronews
