On Tuesday 31 October, the European Commission authorised the Nuvaxovid anti-Covid-19 vaccine for Omicron strain XBB.1.5, developed by Novavax.
This is an “important step in the fight against the disease. It is the first protein-based adapted vaccine authorised for this autumn and winter season”, the Commission noted.
In the third autumn after the discovery of Covid-19, European health authorities fear that a poor vaccine recall campaign could be the cause of a resurgence of the virus, which has been of much less concern for several months and has been declining in recent weeks. This is why laboratories adapt their vaccines to the dominant strains.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has carried out an in-depth evaluation of the vaccine. Following this assessment, the Commission authorised the adapted vaccine under a fast-track procedure to give Member States sufficient time to prepare their autumn and winter vaccination campaigns.
In line with previous recommendations from the EMA and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), adults and adolescents aged 12 and over who are due to be vaccinated are invited to receive a single dose, regardless of their Covid-19 vaccination history.
Link to the decision: https://aeur.eu/f/9ct (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)