France has begun using Novavax, a non-mRNA vaccine, to try and sway the unvaccinated as the number of Covid infections slightly increases raising concerns a sixth wave could be around the corner. But take up is slow.
Just over four million people over the age of 12 have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 in France.
French authorities are hoping that a new Covid vaccine made by the US firm Novavax, will win them over.
Commercialised under the name Nuvaxovid, it's the fifth Covid vaccine to be authorised in France.
Presented as the vaccine of reconciliation, it was rolled out in some 135 vaccination centres this week, and will be available in pharmacies and doctors’ surgeries from 26 March.
Slovakia, whose vaccination rate (51 percent) is one of the lowest in the EU, is also banking on Novavax and began using it on Thursday.
Conventional vaccine
Nuvaxovid uses a proven and more conventional technology than the viral vector vaccines made by AstraZeneca and Janssen or the mRNA vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna.
It is based on so-called “protein sub-unit” technology which involves injecting a piece of the virus – the spike protein – into the patient.
The method has been used for decades to vaccinate people against diseases such as hepatitis B and whooping cough.
The health ministry told Le Figaro that the fact Nuvaxovid works differently could convince vaccine sceptics to get their shots.
France has authorised its use for the first two shots but not the booster shot for people who are already vaccinated with another vaccine.
It is available to people over the age of 18 and in line with European Medicines Agency recommendations, is not available for children.
Effectiveness
Clinical trials have shown the Novavax vaccine to be 90 percent effective in preventing symptomatic Covid and 100 percent in preventing serious illness.
According to the HAS, which advises the government on health policy, mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) should still be given in priority as they are considered more effective.
Slow take up
France has bought some 3.2 million doses from Novavax and on Monday this week began rolling it out in its overseas territories, where vaccination rates are far lower than on the mainland.
In Guadeloupe, only 45 percent of people aged 12 and over have had a first dose.
But that figure has scarcely budged so far.
"I had the impression the population were demanding Novavax and the authorities responded to the demand,” Isabelle Behnke, coordinator of vaccination centres in Guadeloupe told France info. "We’re here, we’re waiting, we’re operational."
- Six African countries to get mRNA technology to make own vaccines
- What's behind mistrust of Covid vaccines in the French Caribbean?
The vaccine is in 10-dose vials. On Tuesday nine doses had to be thrown away as only one had been administered.
French health authorities said on Thursday that just 622 Novavax injections had been administered in France, though the figures were relative as not all centres were open.
Easing of restrictions
France is preparing to further lift Covid restrictions. Prime minister Jean Castex announced last week that the vaccine pass would be suspended as of 14 March, and masks would no longer be mandatory except for public transport and health centres.
While Covid hospitalisations continue to drop, case numbers are once again slightly on the increase.
64,8000 new cases were recorded on Thursday compared to 60,000 a week ago.
Resurgence in Germany, China
On Friday, Germany’s health minister warned the country was sliding into a new “critical” health situation with coronavirus cases reaching new records.
249 people died from the disease on Thrusday, Karl Lauterbach said, warning that the impression the Omicron variant was less virulent was “only partially true”.
More than a quarter of a million new infections were reported on Thursday.
The head of the disease control agency Robert Koch Institute said the situation was worsening because of the more transmissible sub-variant BA.2, which now comprises more than a third of new cases in Germany.
Meawnwhile, the city of Changchun in China, population nine million, was ordered into lockdown on Friday and Shanghai shut its schools as authorities scrambled to halt a Covid-19 outbreak that has pushed nationwide cases to their highest levels in two years.
Changchun, the capital of northeastern Jilin province and an important industrial base, ordered residents to stay at home, allowing one person out every two days to buy "daily necessities".
The city also halted all public transport, ordered schools and businesses shut and said it would institute mass testing.
