beacon of hope
Novavax: The long wait for the new vaccine is over – what you need to know now
Novavax’s vaccine is about to be approved in Europe
© Tomislav Miletic / Picture Alliance
The Novavax vaccine is intended to turn the tide in the fight against the corona virus. The first vaccinations should be possible in February. An overview of what the vaccine can do and where there are dates.
It’s the vaccine many have been waiting for months. Nuvaxovid from the US manufacturer Novavax is considered a beacon of hope for those who distrust the mRNA and vector vaccines that have already been approved. At the end of February, the first injections with the supposed dead vaccine are finally to be given in Germany, and the vaccination gaps are to be closed. The first appointments have already been made and the run on them is great. Who can be immunized with the vaccine, where are appointments and how well does the vaccine protect? An overview.
Why are so many waiting for the Novavax vaccine?
Novavax has primarily benefited from a misunderstanding in the past. Because in connection with the vaccine it was repeatedly reported that it was an inactivated vaccine. Many people who are undecided about vaccination find dead vaccines attractive because they are considered classic vaccines. They have been used for many years, for example against hepatitis B and influenza. So-called inactivated vaccines only contain – as the name suggests – dead viruses and cannot cause any disease. But: This also applies to mRNA and vector vaccines, explains the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). And: “The COVID-19 vaccines do not contain any viruses capable of reproduction. In this respect, they can be combined with inactivated vaccines equated will.”
What makes Nuvaxovid different from other vaccines?
Novavax’s “Nuvaxovid” (NVX-CoV2373) vaccine is neither an mRNA nor a vector vaccine. It is a so-called protein vaccine. The vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna contain a so-called “messenger RNA” (mRNA), which provides the body with the blueprint for a virus protein. The vector vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and Astrazeneca, on the other hand, contain genetic information of the virus in vectors, i.e. harmless carrier viruses. Nuvaxovid also contains tiny nanoparticles of the pathogen, which are produced in insect cell cultures and provided with an effect enhancer. In other words, copies of the spike protein against which the immune system forms antibodies are injected. For the primary immunization, two doses of the vaccine are necessary, which are injected about three weeks apart.
How well does the Novavax vaccine work?
A study with around 30,000 test persons was published last summer, which gives cause for optimism. Accordingly, the Novavax vaccine was very effective with an effectiveness of 90 percent and thus about as good as the mRNA vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna. Another study with another 15,000 participants, conducted in Great Britain, came to a similar conclusion. However, both studies were conducted before the delta variant became the dominant one and thus before the advent of omicron. It is therefore not known how strongly the preparation works against the very contagious omicron variant. “This vaccine will also have to be adapted to Omikron,” tweeted Carsten Watzl, Secretary General of the German Society for Immunology, in December.
How many vaccine doses were ordered?
By March 20, Germany is to receive 3.8 million vaccine doses from the US company Novavax. Overall, Germany is planning up to 34 million doses of the vaccine this year.
When will the Novavax vaccine be used?
No one can say for sure. The first tranche, 1.75 million, should be available on February 21st. That would then also be the earliest start date for the vaccinations. The drug was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in December. The recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) is still pending.
Where are vaccination dates?
The procedure differs from state to state. In Rhineland-Palatinate it has been possible to book appointments via an online portal since January 24th. “This is good news for everyone who has so far held back in the vaccination campaign and at the same time has been waiting for the ‘dead vaccine’,” said Clemens Hoch, the state’s health minister. Almost 10,000 people are said to have registered in the first few days alone. Other states are more cautious. After all, it is not yet certain when exactly how many vaccine doses will arrive at the individual locations. For example, Jörg Metz from the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Thuringia told ZDF: “As long as we don’t know what we’re getting, we can’t offer appointments at the vaccination centers.”
Who can be vaccinated with the protein vaccine?
Almost four million vaccine doses are not much. And before the first ones are even available in Germany, the first distribution battles are already brewing. Some federal states are planning a prioritization. Brandenburg announced that it would initially make the vaccine available to nurses and medical staff. The Minister of Health there, Ursula Nonnenmacher, announced at a question time in the state parliament that above all people should be taken into account for whom vaccination will apply from mid-March, but also for those who are particularly at risk. In North Rhine-Westphalia, too, people are already thinking aloud about first vaccinating people from the healthcare system with Novavax.