Increase in COVID-19 Cases in Europe

Last Week, EU COVID-19 Cases Increased by 8% to 1.5 Million
"Pandemic Over, Immunity Expected" Leads to Low Vaccination Rates

Recently, Europe has seen an increase in COVID-19 confirmed cases and hospitalizations. The photo is unrelated to the specific content of the article. Image by Pixabay

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] As the weather gets colder, the number of COVID-19 cases in Europe is showing an increasing trend.

According to a recent CNN report, WHO data shows that COVID-19 cases within the European Union (EU) reached 1.5 million last week, an 8% increase compared to the previous week despite a sharp decline in testing. This is contrary to the global trend, where the number of confirmed cases continues to decrease.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in EU countries and the United Kingdom have also increased in recent weeks. According to data from the Gimbe Foundation in Italy, hospital admissions for COVID-19 in Italy increased by about 32% from September 28 to October 4 compared to the previous week, and intensive care unit admissions rose by about 21%. During the same period, COVID-19 hospitalizations in the UK increased by as much as 45% compared to the previous week.

Moreover, confusion over vaccine choices and vaccination fatigue in Europe are raising concerns that the situation could worsen. Approval for updated vaccines targeting Omicron in Europe was granted last month, with two types of vaccines available: one that targets both Omicron and its subvariants, and another that targets only Omicron. The UK approved only the vaccine targeting Omicron. In Europe, the updated vaccines are available only to certain groups such as the elderly and immunocompromised individuals, and since recipients can choose the type of vaccine themselves, confusion is increasing.

Another issue is the premature sense of relief that the 'pandemic is over' and the loss of willingness to receive booster shots.

According to data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, since the launch of new vaccines on the 5th of last month, about 40 million doses produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have been delivered to member countries. However, weekly vaccination rates remain only between 1 million and 1.4 million doses, a sharp decline compared to the 6 million to 10 million doses per week during the same period last year.

The reasons for the low vaccination rate include people who have been infected with COVID-19 believing their immunity is still maintained and therefore not getting booster shots, as well as governments not actively promoting vaccination campaigns. Additionally, concerns about finances or the Russia-Ukraine war are relatively greater than worries about COVID-19 infection, which is also analyzed as one of the reasons for the low vaccination rate.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.