On Thursday, Germany’s expert vaccine commission, the Standing Committee on Vaccination (StiKo) raised a recommendation approving the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for adults. Novavax shots were first approved in Indonesia.
It is hoped the protein-based shot might help address vaccine hesitancy since it uses a conventional technology rather than messenger RNA vaccines (mRNA) that have proven most effective during the pandemic.
Approximately 74% of people in Germany have already had two doses of the COVID vaccine. The government wishes to increase its status to 90%.
In the StiKo, it is recommended that adults receive two Novavax doses, at least three weeks apart. Yet, it recommended booster shots be mRNA vaccines, such as those made by BioNTech-Pfizer or Moderna.
A statement released by StiKo said, “Current data shows that protection against infection with the currently circulating omicron variant decreases within a few months after first booster vaccination. This is particularly significant for people aged 70 years and older and those with immunodeficiency, as they are at highest risk for severe COVID-19 course after infection”.
According to the World Health Organization, the Novavax vaccine has an efficacy rate of 90% against mild, moderate, and severe diseases.
