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Wed 30 October 2024 | View online Estimated reading time: 4-5 minutes |
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Vaccination rates for COVID and influenza are too low for at-risk groups, says ECDC |
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Seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccination rates for at-risk groups were ‘sub-optimal’ in several EU countries in 2023-2024, according to two reports from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) released yesterday (29 October).
“Vaccination is one of the most effective measures we have to protect the most vulnerable in society from severe disease, hospitalisation and death,” said Pamela Rendi-Wagner, ECDC Director.
The suggested vaccination rate for COVID-19 is 80 percent, which only three member states reached for the 80+ age group, including Denmark, Sweden and Ireland. For the flu, Denmark and Ireland were the only two countries to exceed 75 percent flu vaccination coverage for people aged 65 and over. |
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There appears to be a Central/East-West divide in vaccination uptake for COVID, too. Poland, Hungary, Czechia and Romania fell behind 25 percent in vaccination rates, varying between 0.02 and 16.5 percent.
The ECDC urged people from at-risk groups, such as the elderly and the immunocompromised to get vaccinated along with frontline healthcare workers.
Why it matters: As winter approaches, the combination of seasonal flu, SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can result in a surge of hospitalisations. Vaccination helps people stay well and relieves pressure on healthcare systems. Back to the top |
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Pharma package discussions focus on streamlining the medicine authorisation process |
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The Council Working Group on Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, which is examining the Pharma Package, took a closer look at the European Medicines Agencies (EMA) authorisation process over the last two days.
The majority of member states are supportive of greater centralisation of the approval process, through EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), which meets on a monthly basis.
It is envisaged that more specialised committees, like the one on orphan medicines (COMP), advance therapies (CAT) and paediatric medicines (PDCO) could be replaced by expert groups. The current structure is representation-based structure, with one representative per country, with an expert-based structure not all countries will necessarily be represented.
This shift aims to involve more external experts, but with final decision still being made by the CHMP. “This would help avoid duplication and enable a more efficient use of member state experts,” a diplomatic source told Euractiv.
Member states could participate in expert groups based on their existing expertise, allowing them to focus resources strategically. “This would enable smaller countries to focus on subfields where they can play a more significant role,” the same source added. Back to the top |
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🟡 Health technology assessment |
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Consultation: Medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices |
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Yesterday (29 October), the Commission launched a consultation on the implementing regulation on joint scientific consultations on medical devices and in vitro diagnostic medical devices.
The rules are one of six pieces of delegated legislation required under the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Regulation, which comes into force on 12 January.
The online consultation will be open for responses until 26 November 2024. Back to the top |
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BMS calls for simplification of range of evidence required under medicine assessment |
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Under the new HTA regulation joint (cross country) clinical assessments of medical devices and medicines should lead to a more efficient flow of new medicines and devices to patients - at least that’s the hope - but concern has been raised by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) on the potential complexity of how the process could work.
Why? In comparing a new product to existing treatments, the European Network for HTA found that there could be a high number of different treatments, reflecting different clinical practice across Europe. This could lead to a ‘long tail’ in treatment options used for a low number of patients.
Complexity: BMS is concerned that an application for assessment in one country could result in several more comparators than those existing at a national level, leading to a much more complex analysis and one that compares against treatments that are not available in that country, making some of the assessment “redundant”.
Their solution? When a product is only being put forward for one country, the process should not use comparators from outside that country which aren’t available. Back to the top |
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Czechia pushes for a coordinated EU approach to the stockpiling of medicines |
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Czechia - National stockpiling versus European solidarity: The issue of national stockpiling has been debated within the EU for several months. As Euractiv reported in June, Czechia, with a coalition of other EU member states, warned that excessive stockpiling could damage the single market.
A new approach: Czechia is proposing an alternative – a dynamic system that could serve as a model for the rest of the EU.
“We developed a system where we are not stockpiling medicines ourselves, but we have established a reservation system that allows us to access supplies as needed,” said Dvořáček.
The Czech State Material Reserves Authority (SSHR) operates this system by tendering distributors who hold medicine stocks, ensuring the supplies can be updated and refreshed regularly to avoid waste.
“The medicines are not owned by the state or SSHR, which means we can react quickly if there is a shortage,” Dvořáček noted. “If a manufacturer reports a supply interruption, we can request a reduction in reserves, covering the gap without patients or pharmacies noticing any difference.” “We do not need to wait for a disaster to use these medicines,” he said. “The key is to avoid the panic that often comes with stockpiling discussions.”
An EU-wide system: Dvořáček is calling for the creation of a dynamic, EU-wide system based on the Czech reservation model, where medicines are not centrally owned, but can be quickly mobilised and replenished.
“If the whole of Europe is holding an extensive supply of penicillin, for example, it does not make sense because we will never need this drug in such large quantities. We need to think about how to distribute the stock so that it is actually usable when it is needed,” said Dvořáček.
“We have seen a lot of willingness from other countries to collaborate on this,” he said, noting that even Germany, which was initially singled out for its stockpiling practices, has been open to adjusting its approach in light of a broader European strategy.
Dvořáček remains optimistic that Europe can find a path forward that balances national needs with European solidarity. Read the full story here. Back to the top |
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French public hospitals on strike |
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France - The inter-union grouping of healthcare professionals called for a day of action on Tuesday 29 October to protest against the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) for 2025, which is currently being debated in the National Assembly.
Hospital workers are demanding a 6% increase in their budget, compared with the 3% provided for in the bill. “Hospital workers have the impression that they have a lack of resources, and this can be seen on the ground,” said Arnaud Robinet, President of the French Hospital Federation.
The strike had no impact on healthcare, but the workers wore armbands to show their solidarity with the protest. Back to the top |
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Irish Health Minister plans for a bilateral labour agreement for nursing and midwifery with Kenya |
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Ireland - Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced a plan to develop a new model of bi-lateral cooperation in nursing and midwifery with Kenya.
“By working together with Kenya, in line with our shared principles and WHO-OECD guidance on best practice,” said Donnelly. “We can inform a new generation of fair and ethical bilateral agreements on health workforce migration.”
The collaboration would address nursing and midwifery shortages in Ireland, whilst investing in the development of these professions in Kenya. Since 2020, there has been a 23% increase of staff working in Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE). The increase includes more than 9,000 nurses and midwives, but despite the increase in the number of graduates, there is a shortfall compared to the number of vacant positions. Back to the top |
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| MEPs have an external week, no committee or group meetings |
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| EMA, Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee |
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| 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, Copenhagen |
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| Global Launch of Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, 2024 |
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| EMA, Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee |
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| 74th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, Copenhagen |
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| Commissioner-designate hearings begin |
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| Commissioner-designate hearings 9:00 Ekaterina Zaharieva (Bulgaria, EPP), the proposed Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, will appear in a hearing organised by the industry committee |
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Today’s brief was brought to you by Euractiv’s Health team |
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Today’s briefing was prepared by the Health team: Catherine Feore, Clara Bauer-Babef, Emma Pirnay, Thomas Mangin, and Lydia Williams. Additional reporting by Krassen Nikolov. Share your feedback or information with us at digital@euractiv.com. |
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