INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A new COVID-19 wave appears to be brewing in Europe as cooler weather arrives, with public health experts warning that vaccine fatigue and
confusion over types of available vaccines will likely limit booster uptake.Omicron subvariants BA.4/5 that dominated this summer are still
behind the majority of infections, but newer Omicron subvariants are gaining ground
Hundreds of new forms of Omicron are being tracked by scientists, World Health Organisation (WHO) officials said this week, Reuters
reported.WHO data released late on Wednesday showed that cases in the European Union (EU) reached 1.5 million last week, up 8% from the
prior week, despite a dramatic fall in testing
Globally, case numbers continue to decline.Hospitalisation numbers across many countries in the 27-nation bloc, as well as Britain, have
gone up in recent weeks.In the week ended Oct 4, COVID-19 hospital admissions with symptoms jumped nearly 32% in Italy, while intensive care
admissions rose about 21%, compared to the week before, according to data compiled by independent scientific foundation Gimbe.Over the same
week, COVID hospitalisations in Britain saw a 45% increase versus the week earlier.Omicron-adapted vaccines have launched in Europe as of
September, with two types of shots addressing the BA.1 as well as the BA.4/5 subvariants made available alongside existing first-generation
In Britain, only the BA.1-tailored shots have been given the green light.European and British officials have endorsed the latest boosters
only for a select groups of people, including the elderly and those with compromised immune systems
Complicating matters further is the &choice& of vaccine as a booster, which will likely add to confusion, public health experts said.But
willingness to get yet another shot, which could be a fourth or fifth for some, is wearing thin.For those who may be less concerned about
their risk, the messaging that it is all over coupled with the lack of any major publicity campaign is likely to reduce uptake,& said Martin
McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.The post COVID wave looms in Europe as
booster campaign makes slow start first appeared on Ariana News.
