On December 21, 2020, the European Commission approved the first COVID-19 vaccine for use throughout the EU after the European Agency for Paediatric Medicines approved BionTech and Pfizer. EU countries have committed themselves to starting the vaccination as soon as possible, starting from 27-29 December 2020.

In addition, the EU is using every opportunity to accelerate the approval of any other potential vaccine for use throughout the EU. COVID-19 vaccines will only be approved for use in the EU if scientific evidence shows that the benefits of these vaccines are greater than any risks.

COVID-19 vaccines are developed according to the same legal requirements for quality, safety and efficacy as all other vaccines. As with all vaccines, the effects of COVID-19 vaccines are tested first in the laboratory. The EU coordinates vaccine approvals through independent scientific advice from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The UK was cut off from the rest of Europe on Monday because of fears of a new strain of coronavirus, causing chaos among families, truck drivers and supermarkets a few days before Christmas.

France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Israel and Canada were among those who blocked transport after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a highly contagious new strain of the virus was a threat to the country. The third wave of coronavirus is happening now!

Needless to say, COVID-19 is extremely contagious and spreads from human to human mainly through the air. Soaps and disinfectants are probably not as important as face masks. The virus is released from the mouth in microscopic drops or even smaller aerosols when the infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, screams and even just talks. If these droplets get into another person’s eyes, nose or mouth, they can catch a potentially fatal disease. Wearing a face mask therefore provides two elements of protection – face masks help to stop the patient from spreading the disease, and also help to block the droplets and the virus from getting into the mouth or nose of a healthy person.

Recently, there has been some video material that shows how to fit a disposable medical face mask even better (especially for smaller faces). Check it out!