European Medicines Agency

A top official in the European Medicines Agency said it might be worth abandoning AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine for all age groups where alternatives are available, in an interview published on June 13.

Marco Cavaleri, the EMA's head of vaccine strategy, also told Italy's La Stampa newspaper that the Johnson & Johnson jab should be preferentially used for the over 60s.

Ljubljana – The head of the national advisory group for Covid-19 vaccination, Bojana Beović, has said that following the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children aged 12 or more, the group will recommend vaccinating children, especially children suffering from chronic diseases.

Immunisation against COVID-19 of 12- 15 year olds with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine could start on Wednesday, conditional upon all procedural criteria imposed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) being met according to the agreed timetable.

Ljubljana – After Slovenia’s vaccination centres reported they had been receiving fewer Covid-19 vaccines this week than they have ordered, the national vaccination logistics coordinator said on Wednesday that more doses would be available in June, and that a major shipment of the AstraZeneca vaccine was expected this Friday.

The European Council on Thursday advised member states to relax entry restrictions for non-essential travellers from non-EU countries who have been fully immunized against COVID-19 with a vaccine authorized by Brussels.

Ljubljana – Health Minister Janez Poklukar called for coordination of measures to form guidance for travel and crossing the borders within the EU, as he addressed a virtual informal meeting of EU health ministers on Thursday. He also urged a fair global distribution of vaccines against Covid-19.

The European Union is blocking Russia-made vaccines against Covid-19, the head of Russia's external intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, said on Tuesday.

He said the EU was preventing the approval of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V in Europe for political reasons.

Brussels – The health minister expects that the EU will have enough Covid-19 vaccine in the coming months to fight off the pandemic, and that a digital green certificate will also play an important role. Its first version could be available in Slovenia in June, allowing residents to travel abroad over the summer, he said on Wednesday.

Ljubljana – The Health Ministry and the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) told the STA on Wednesday that the vaccination of children and adolescents in Slovenia would start when the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gives its approval.

There are sufficient quantities of vaccines available in the country, deliveries are regularly carried out by all manufacturers. The "green corridors" for vaccination will continue to function. Director of the Bulgarian Drug Agency Bogdan Kirilov assured the arrival of another 273,780 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will be on time.