The safety and efficacy of authorized COVID-19 vaccines will be strictly monitored through dedicated systems set up at EU level. The long-term efficacy of a new vaccine can only be confirmed after a sufficient period of time. Often, when the timing of an unexpected disease coincides with the administration of a vaccine, it is assumed that it was the vaccine that caused the disease.
The recently approved COVID-19 vaccines will be constantly monitored to better understand if the alleged side effects are actually due to the vaccine or if there is no correlation, as well as to verify its long-term effectiveness. Manufacturers will continue to be responsible and will be required to monitor the long-term effects of their vaccines long after their administration.
Find out more about the EU rules on liability for defective productsMore information from EMA’s public meeting with stakeholders on the development and authorization of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines in the EU
Read the Royal Society’s recommendations for vaccine distributionIf it is sufficiently reliably demonstrated that a COVID-19 vaccine meets the EU’s high standards of safety and efficacy, the EU will recommend its use, regardless of who made it.
According to pro-Russian disinformation, the EU is undermining the efforts of other countries. The commercialization of vaccines in the internal market requires high European standards of safety and efficacy set by the European Medicines Agency.
The Russian Sputnik V vaccine is currently undergoing regular review by the European Medicines Agency, whose recommendation will determine whether or not the European Commission will authorize the vaccine for use in the EU.
Furthermore, the Kremlin has long supported various disinformation campaigns in Europe and abroad, as well documented by EUvsDisinfo. For example, some pro-Kremlin actors have promoted the Sputnik V vaccine in Latin America while attempting to denigrate other vaccines.
Ultimately, the EU would be willing to use vaccines from anywhere in the world, provided they meet the high European standards of safety and efficacy set by the European Medicines Agency.
Find out how the EU ensures the safety of vaccinesLearn more about how the EMA evaluates and approves new vaccinesLearn more about pro-Kremlin disinformation about vaccinesCOViD-19: distinguish reality from fictionDo you have any doubts about what you have read? Here are the facts:Syiringe
Most scientists and policymakers agree that the lockdown saves lives, but that it is not a viable long-term option for dealing with the pandemic.The EU and all Member States will always put citizens’ health and livelihoods first. Throughout the pandemic, most European countries have been forced to implement temporary containment measures to manage the high number of new cases.
It is in everyone’s interest to limit the duration of lockdowns as much as possible, but this is only possible if they produce the desired effect: a significant reduction in the number of infections. The possibility of stemming the spread of the coronavirus also depends on the degree of compliance by the population with the prescribed measures, for example wearing a mask in public places and social distancing.