Pick whatever COVID booster offered, head of EU drug regulator says – Reuters
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Emer Cooke, head of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), says that those in Europe should take whatever COVID-19 booster shots available for them in the coming months, Reuters reported Wednesday.
"My message is (to) have confidence in whatever vaccines are offered to you," Cooke said during an interview. 
The EU has cleared several types of Omicron-adapted COVID-19 vaccines.
Initially, the regulator greenlighted bi-valent boosters developed by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)/BioNTech (BNTX) and Moderna (MRNA) for both the original COVID-19 strain and the BA.1 subvariant of Omicron.
This week, an advisory panel of the regulator cleared another bivalent booster, Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) have updated for BA.4/5-subvariant.
"The approach that we've taken in Europe is to have a plurality of options because we recognize that the needs in different member states may be different," Cooke said, noting that people should have the opportunity to select their booster. "But really, a lot depends on what's available in your jurisdiction," she added.
The remarks come amid concerns over a potential decline in demand for the latest boosters as COVID worries ease despite a risk of an autumn spike in infections.
The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Wednesday that the world has never been in a better position to end the pandemic.