The EU's European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) held a joint press conference to mark the start of the autumn-winter period.

ECDC Director Andrea Ammon said that three viruses targeting the respiratory tract - Covid-19, influenza and RSV - will be seen together in the coming months.

Ammon emphasized that vaccines adapted to all three viruses are available on the market and that the right time for their administration is "now".

EMA Director Emer Cooke also stated that two new mRNA-containing Covid-19 vaccines for over 60s, newborns and children have been approved and said: "The good news is that we are much better prepared than in previous years, as effective vaccines and treatments are available to protect European citizens.

Cooke pointed out that it is possible to administer Covid-19 and flu vaccines together.

This month, the EMA recommended Pfizer/BioNTech's Cominarte and Moderna's Spikevax vaccines, which are compatible with new variants of Covid-19.

The EU Commission had also approved the use of Cominarte.

The EMA's decisions on vaccines are advisory. The EU Commission approves the use of vaccines within the EU. The EMA's recommendations on Covid-19 vaccines are usually approved by the EU Commission in a short time.