The EU’s drug regulator has said people with severely weakened immune systems should be given a third dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine at least 28 days after their second shot.
“The recommendation comes after studies showed that an extra dose of these vaccines increased the ability to produce antibodies against the virus that causes Covid-19 in organ transplant patients with weakened immune systems,” the European Medicines Agency said.
It also announced that a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine “may be considered at least six months after the second dose for people aged 18 years and older” with normal immune systems.
“At national level, public health bodies may issue official recommendations on the use of booster doses, taking into account emerging effectiveness data and the limited safety data,” it said.
Several EU member states have already pre-empted the guidance and launched their own booster campaigns, although they vary widely over who is eligible.
On booster doses, the EMA said the “risk of inflammatory heart conditions or other very rare side effects after a booster is not known and is being carefully monitored.”
Rare cases of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, have been reported in people who have taken the Pfizer vaccine, particularly in young men.
The US, UK and Israel have approved the use of Pfizer boosters, although only the latter is using them across the whole population.
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
The years Ramadan fell in May
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
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