Antiviral treatments such as Pfizer's Paxlovid are expected to remain effective and so EU states should stock up on them for high-risk patients, the EMA says.

It also approves a separate shot by Moderna, specifically targeting the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the coronavirus Omicron variant.

But they recommend a second booster for people aged 80 and above.

The European Medicines Agency says the drug can be used to treat adults who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at increased risk of progressing to severe disease.

Data which looked at hospitalisations across South Africa between Nov 14 and Dec 4 found that ICU occupancy was only 6.3%.

Moderna has reported positive results from its clinical trials for children aged six to 11, with the vaccine eliciting a strong immune response.

Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine has been authorised for use in children over the age of 12 in both the US and European Union.

The Merck pill has been hailed as a possible breakthrough because until now Covid therapeutics have been administered intravenously.

Extra doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were also approved for people with severely weakened immune systems.

The European Medicines Agency says it will discuss with vaccine developers the effectiveness of current jabs in tackling the Mu variant.

The EMA says it will carry out a speedy evaluation of the data, with an outcome expected 'within the next few weeks'.

The European Medicines Agency is also looking into cases of blood clots in the vein with Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine.