As a small number of people react allergically to the mRNA vaccines, developed by namely Pfizer or Moderna, Belgium is ordering the new Novavax vaccines, says Dirk Ramaekers of the vaccination task force.
Novavax is a so-called protein vaccine and works in a completely different way to Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, meaning that allergic people will not react badly to it.
"Giving them another mRNA vaccine is of course not possible, ut soon there will be a very good alternative," Ramaekers told Het Laatste Nieuws. "The new vaccine, Novavax, looks so promising that Europe has already ordered 200 million doses of it."
Belgium has also stepped into this deal, as the Taskforce expects that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will approve the use of Novavax before the end of the year.
Related News
- Face masks and quarantines: New school measures enter into force today
- 'Time to push on the brakes': Health minister calls for teleworking and caution
"Then we can administer this vaccine in our country to the 500 to 1,000 people who react badly to the mRNA vaccines," Ramaekers added.
Simply put, the Novavax contains spike proteins (typical protrusions on the surface of the virus) that have been pre-made in the laboratory, he explained.
Once someone is vaccinated and their immune system sees this protein, it will immediately know that it does not belong in their body and build up a defence against infection with Covid-19.
