Correspondence

containment of the global pandemic. social sciences, we go into more depth SCi reports grants and personal fees from Roche,
At present, vaccines seem to be the on these important socioeconomic and personal fees from Euroimmun, unrelated to
this Correspondence. NH reports grants from GSK
most important and effective long- aspects.3 Biologicals, Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson,
term intervention we have at hand Second, we welcome all efforts unrelated to this Correspondence. All other authors
to contain a potentially deadly virus towards international cooperation declare no competing interests.
that will most probably continue to and coordination on this matter. *Viola Priesemann,
circulate in the human population for Indeed, with this initiative, we hope Melanie M Brinkmann, Sandra Ciesek,
the foreseeable future.4 to promote more cooperation rather Sarah Cuschieri, Thomas Czypionka,
I declare no competing interests. than narrow national perspectives. Giulia Giordano, Claudia Hanson,
The common legal and institutional Niel Hens, Emil Iftekhar, Peter Klimek,
Carsten Krüger
framework of the EU allows for a Mirjam Kretzschmar, Andreas Peichl,
[email protected]
comprehensive joint strategy that Matjaž Perc, Francesco Sannino,
Department of Medicine, Division of Paediatrics, Eva Schernhammer, Alexander Schmidt,
Witten/Herdecke University, 58448 Witten, can be implemented immediately.
Germany; Department of Applied Health A global strategy follows more Anthony Staines, Ewa Szczurek
Sciences, University of Applied Sciences, easily from this important first [email protected]
Bochum, Germany
step. The statement further points Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and
1 Priesemann V, Brinkmann MM, Ciesek S, et al. Self- Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Calling for pan-European commitment for
to challenges specific to Europe, (VP, EI, ASc); Technische Universität
rapid and sustained reduction in SARS-CoV-2 such as open borders and highly Braunschweig, Helmholtz Zentrum für
infections. Lancet 2021; 397: 92–93. interconnected societies and econ­ Infektionsforschung, Braunschweig, Germany
2 Michie S, West R. Behavioural, environmental, (MMB); University Hospital, Goethe-University
social, and systems interventions against omies. However, considering that
Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany (SCi); Faculty of
covid-19. BMJ 2020; 370: m2982. settings of countries all around Medicine & Surgery, University of Malta, Msida,
3 Schippers MC. For the greater good? the world might display larger Malta (SCu); Institute for Advanced Studies,
The devastating ripple effects of the Vienna, Austria (TC); London School of Economics
Covid-19 crisis. Front Psychol 2020; differences, all these arguments can
and Political Science, London, UK (TC); University
11: 577740. be immediately generalised to a more of Trento, Trento, Italy (GG); London School of
4 Sewell HF, Agius RM, Kendrick D, Stewart M.
Covid-19 vaccines: delivering protective
global perspective. Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK (CH);
Vaccinations play a central role in Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden (CH);
immunity. BMJ 2020; 371: m4838.
I-BioStat, Data Science Institute, Hasselt
pandemic response. Nonetheless, University, Hasselt, Belgium (NH); Centre for
Authors’ reply it will be a while until vaccination Health Economic Research and Modelling
We thank Carsten Krüger for the takes full effect, and hence we need Infectious Diseases, Vaccine and Infectious
Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp,
opportunity to further elaborate on a sustainable strategy for the coming Belgium (NH); Department of Epidemiology,
the important aspects raised in his months and years.3 The vaccination Center for Public Health, Medical University of
Correspondence. effect will not be sustainable until all Vienna, Vienna, Austria (ESc), University Medical
Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands (EI, MK);
First, we are definitely concerned people worldwide have had access

Benoit Doppagne/Getty Images

Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria (PK);
about the impact of lockdowns and to vaccination, further underscoring Complexity Science Hub Vienna, Vienna, Austria
continued severe restrictions on the importance of international (PK); ifo Institute, Leibniz Institute for Economic
Research, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
the various aspects of human life cooperation. Further factors that (AP); University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
mentioned. That is precisely why we diminish or slow vaccination progress (MP); Federico II University of Napoli, Napoli, Italy
are committed to the goal of pursuing include obstructions in vaccine (FS); Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics and
Cosmology and Danish Institute for Advanced
low case numbers.1 These are neces­ production and delivery, the pos­
Study, University of Southern Denmark, Aarhus,
sary to ease restrictions moderately sibility of transmission despite Denmark (FS); Campus Institute for Dynamics of
without jeopardising millions of lives vaccination, and the emergence Biological Networks, Göttingen, Germany (ASc);
and livelihoods. 2 The argument is of escape variants that bypass School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and
Community Health, Dublin City University,
straightforward: uncontained spread immunity. 3 The latter might even Dublin, Ireland (ASt); Faculty of Mathematics,
would lead to high numbers of deaths require further vaccine development Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw,
and many cases of so-called long and the restarting of vaccination Warsaw, Poland (ESz)

COVID, not to mention overburdened programmes. In light of all this, it is 1 Priesemann V, Brinkmann MM, Ciesek S, et al.
Calling for pan-European commitment for
health-care systems with collateral necessary that restrictions continue rapid and sustained reduction in SARS-CoV-2
impact for everyone. The central idea to be maintained for the time being. infections. Lancet 2021; 397: 92–93.
supporting strong lockdowns and thus Hence, low case numbers in the 2 Contreras S, Dehning J, Loidolt M, et al.
The challenges of containing SARS-CoV-2 via
rapid case reduction is that strong coming months or possibly years, at test-trace-and-isolate. Nat Commun 2021;
and effective lockdowns minimise the least below ten per million people 12: 378.
3 Priesemann V, Balling R, Brinkmann MM, et al.
duration of negative social impacts. per day, have clear benefits for all— An action plan for pan-European defence
In a follow-up statement with for public health, society, and the against new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Lancet
coauthors from the humanities and economy.3 2021; 397: 469–70.

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