SVEN HOPPE
“It is very likely that the Delta variant will circulate heavily during the summer,” said ECDC director Andrea Ammon on Wednesday. This is particularly true for younger people who are not among the target groups of the vaccination campaigns.
This could create a risk that more vulnerable people could become infected and experience serious disease or die if they are not fully vaccinated.
According to the available scientific knowledge, the delta variant (B.1.617.2) is 40 to 60 percent more transferable than the alpha variant (B.1.1.7), which first appeared in England, explained the Stockholm-based authority.
She therefore expects that at the beginning of August 70 percent of all new corona infections in the European Union and the associated countries Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein will be due to Delta. By the end of August it should be 90 percent.
Unfortunately, preliminary data showed that people who had only received a dose of the currently available vaccines could also contract the Delta variant, Ammon said. The good news, however, is that two doses of vaccine offer a high level of protection against this variant and its consequences.
A very fast pace of vaccination campaigns is therefore extremely important. At this point in time, it is also crucial to administer the second vaccination within the shortest permitted period of time after the first vaccination in order to protect those at risk. Too many people are still at risk of seriously contracting Covid-19.