As of: 01/14/2022 4:26 p.m
Anyone who wants to be vaccinated or boosted will soon have more choice: According to Health Minister Lauterbach, the vaccine Nuvaxovid from Novavax will be available from February 21. It could attract vaccine skeptics.
After Comirnaty from BioNTech, Spikevax from Moderna and the vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, a fifth vaccine is now coming onto the German market: the preparation Nuvaxovid from Novavax. The first delivery of 1.75 million doses should be available from February 21, said Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. The vaccine can be injected in vaccination centers from the third week of February. The vaccine was originally supposed to come out in January.
However, the delivery of a further 3.25 million doses ordered by the federal government is likely to be further delayed. According to Lauterbach, it can be expected at best at the end of February. Exact dates have not yet been set, the minister explained.
Alternative for people who don’t want an mRNA vaccine
Lauterbach advertised that the preparation, which is “quasi a dead vaccine”, should be particularly available to those who prefer this type of vaccination. The protein-based vaccine could be an alternative, especially for vaccine skeptics who have reservations about the new mRNA technologies and vector vaccines. In studies, the Novavax vaccine proved to be 90 percent effective against the corona virus. The side effects were similar to other vaccines and mainly related to pain at the injection site.
Two doses are injected about three weeks apart. The Novavax vaccine works in a similar way to flu vaccines. It’s made with lab-grown copies of the spike protein that coats the coronavirus. After the vaccination, the human immune system uses it to form antibodies against the protein and can thus ward off Covid 19 disease. In addition, the Novavax vaccine contains saponin as a vaccine booster. Not much research has been done on the side effects of saponin.
Also suitable against Omikron?
It is unclear to what extent the vaccine helps against the omicron variant. Novavax CEO Stanley Erck announced at this week’s JP Morgan health conference that further studies will investigate the effectiveness of a vaccine designed on Omicron.
The Novavax agent was recently approved as the fifth corona vaccine in the EU. The EU Commission has ordered a total of 100 million doses. In addition, Brussels has secured an option for a further 100 million doses.
Approvals in over 170 countries
The company, based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, says it has already received approval in more than 170 countries – mostly through the World Health Organization (WHO). Novavax is already selling its product in Indonesia, the Philippines and India.
In 2022, Novavax plans to create capacities for a good two billion vaccine doses. The vaccine is produced together with the Indian contract manufacturer Serum Institute of India, which is now the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world – calculated by dose.