More data needed before Covid-19 vaccine booster decisions: EU regulators

Speaking at the first of planned regular fortnightly media briefings on the coronavirus pandemic, the European Medicines Agency's head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy Marco Cavaleri cautioned against making "premature" moves to deploy booster Covid-19 shots.

More clinical and real-world data is needed on how well and for how long Covid-19 vaccines are protective before any decisions should be made on offering third or booster doses, Europe's drug regulators said on Wednesday.

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Reuters)

Speaking at the first of planned regular fortnightly media briefings on the coronavirus pandemic, the European Medicines Agency's head of biological health threats and vaccines strategy Marco Cavaleri cautioned against making "premature" moves to deploy booster Covid-19 shots.

"We need to look into real-world evidence ... to give us the data we need to know when would be the right time to give a third dose," he said.

"We need to have data that show in the field, either real-world evidence or clinical trials, that show what is the level of protection that is retained by the vaccines that we currently have."