WHO Publishes Updated Position Paper on COVID-19 Vaccines for the Endemic Era

WHO published an updated position paper on COVID-19 vaccines in the Weekly Epidemiological Record, developed via the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization. The paper reframes guidance for a context of sustained SARS-CoV-2 circulation, high population immunity, and widely available variant-adapted vaccines. SAGE recommends countries prioritize routine annual (or twice-yearly, six months apart) vaccination for the highest-risk groups — oldest adults, older adults with significant comorbidities or severe obesity, long-term care residents, and people aged 6 months and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised — while integrating COVID-19 vaccination into long-term respiratory disease management programs rather than emergency response frameworks.