Can ‘old-fashioned’ Novavax vaccine convince German sceptics?
Germany is expecting deliveries of some four million doses of the Novavax vaccine in the coming months. Early signs are that its tried-and-tested formula will convince some of the vaccine hesitant.
In the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, thousands of people signed up for their first Covid shots within hours of the state opening registrations for vaccination with the Novavax vaccine.
This has led to hope that many of the millions of German adults who have chosen not to be vaccinated with the four jabs currently on offer will feel more safe with the new one.
The Novavax vaccine, the fifth Covid-19 vaccine to gain approval in the EU, is based on a technology that has successfully been used against other illnesses for years.
The vaccine is protein-based, similar to those used against flu and whooping cough, with initial trials suggesting it causes fewer short-term side effects.
Surveys show that many Germans who haven’t yet been vaccinated are hesitant about the novel technology which is used in the mRNA vaccines from BionTech/Pfizer and Moderna.
Rhineland-Palatinate is the first state which has opened registration for vaccination with the Novavax jab.
According to a report in the Tagesschau, some 5,000 people in the state booked their jabs with the vaccine within hours of the registration opening. After four days, that number had risen to over 9,000.
"We don't expect the Novavax vaccine to close the last vaccination gaps," said Clemens Hoch, state health minister in Rhineland-Palatinate.
"Nevertheless, we are pleased if some sceptics are now willing to get the vaccination with Novavax," he added.
The western state will start vaccinating people with the Novavax product on February 21st, by which point the first 1.4 million doses are supposed to have arrived in Germany.
The federal Health Ministry has ordered 34 million doses for 2022.
The arrival of the more traditional vaccine has led to discussions in government circles over whether to extend the date by which staff in the health care sector need to get their compulsory jabs.
Doctors, nurses and carers will have to be fully jabbed by March 15th, but a modification to the law could allow for a period of leniency for those who’ve had their first jab with the Novavax vaccine but whose second appointment comes just after the deadline.
SEE ALSO: ‘Hard to keep up’ - Your verdict on Germany’s ever-changing Covid rules
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In the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, thousands of people signed up for their first Covid shots within hours of the state opening registrations for vaccination with the Novavax vaccine.
This has led to hope that many of the millions of German adults who have chosen not to be vaccinated with the four jabs currently on offer will feel more safe with the new one.
The Novavax vaccine, the fifth Covid-19 vaccine to gain approval in the EU, is based on a technology that has successfully been used against other illnesses for years.
The vaccine is protein-based, similar to those used against flu and whooping cough, with initial trials suggesting it causes fewer short-term side effects.
Surveys show that many Germans who haven’t yet been vaccinated are hesitant about the novel technology which is used in the mRNA vaccines from BionTech/Pfizer and Moderna.
Rhineland-Palatinate is the first state which has opened registration for vaccination with the Novavax jab.
According to a report in the Tagesschau, some 5,000 people in the state booked their jabs with the vaccine within hours of the registration opening. After four days, that number had risen to over 9,000.
"We don't expect the Novavax vaccine to close the last vaccination gaps," said Clemens Hoch, state health minister in Rhineland-Palatinate.
"Nevertheless, we are pleased if some sceptics are now willing to get the vaccination with Novavax," he added.
The western state will start vaccinating people with the Novavax product on February 21st, by which point the first 1.4 million doses are supposed to have arrived in Germany.
The federal Health Ministry has ordered 34 million doses for 2022.
The arrival of the more traditional vaccine has led to discussions in government circles over whether to extend the date by which staff in the health care sector need to get their compulsory jabs.
Doctors, nurses and carers will have to be fully jabbed by March 15th, but a modification to the law could allow for a period of leniency for those who’ve had their first jab with the Novavax vaccine but whose second appointment comes just after the deadline.
SEE ALSO: ‘Hard to keep up’ - Your verdict on Germany’s ever-changing Covid rules
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