The Novavax vaccine is expected next month in Greece, as announced yesterday by the president of the national vaccination committee, Maria Theodoridou, who spoke about protein vaccines.
In particular, as regards Novavax, he said that the protein spike is administered ready to the person being vaccinated, without the body having to produce it. Theodoridou stressed that the vaccine is an old technology dating back to 1980 and it is the basis for the manufacture of the flu vaccine and other vaccines.
Speaking about the technical characteristics of the vaccine, he said can be refrigerated for 9 months and the 10 doses contained in each bottle can be kept for six days at room temperature. The vaccine is given in two doses with a 28-day interval between the first and second dose and can be given to adults over 18 years of age. Antibody development and protection begins after 14 days. She estimated that this vaccine will help to convince even the most skeptical to be vaccinated and added that the manufacturing company has committed to one billion doses, which it will produce and which will largely be channelled to underprivileged countries as well, as she pointed out.
Referring to two clinical trials, she said moderate and severe symptomatic disease is limited to a rate approaching 90% for those who have had the vaccine. However, she said that there are no data on whether this new vaccine can be administered as a booster dose, nor are there sufficient data on its efficacy in terms of virus transmission and duration of immunity.
Ms Theodoridou reiterated that children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years old receive two doses of the vaccine, while for the third dose she said it is only approved for children with immunosuppression issues. She also added that the committee is discussing extending the third dose to children with problems due to chronic diseases. Referring to another study from Israel, she said vaccinated parents help to reduce the spread of the virus in households and indirectly protect their children.
However, Mrs Theodoridou stressed once again that compliance with the protection measures is very important to see the way out of the pandemic.
In the next 2 to 3 days there is the possibility to be vaccinated with the booster dose, those whose certificate expired yesterday
As of yesterday, February 7, 324,000 citizens who did not make the booster payment have not had the vaccination certificate them, said the secretary general for primary health care at the Ministry of Health, Marios Themistokleous. Mr Themistocleous said that for all those who have not received the booster dose, appointments are available and they will be able to receive the booster dose of the vaccination within the next 2 to 3 days.
