Booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine recently introduced in the European Union are “pretty disappointing,” the official said, amid fears that protection against severe forms of the disease will be weakened in the winter.

The European average for revaccination or receiving booster doses was only 29% in groups of people considered to be at increased risk, such as the elderly and immunocompromised people.

“It is worrying that those who are most at risk of hospitalization or severe Covid are not adequately protected,” Marco Cavalleri, head of health risks and vaccination strategy at the European Medicines Agency, told a press conference.

While there has not been a significant increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, Mr Cavalleri said that could change during the colder winter months.

According to figures released late last night by the World Health Organization (WHO), 724,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been registered in the EU. last week, down 11% from a week earlier. In early October, when experts warned of a new wave of COVID-19, the number of weekly cases reached 1.5 million.