Netherlands approves Novavax Covid vaccine; Won't use Janssen boosters

The Netherlands has approved the use of Novavax's protein-based COVID-19 vaccine Nuvaxovid, reported NL Times.

Caretaker Health Minister Hugo de Jonge informed the Tweede Kamer that he expects the first delivery of doses to happen no sooner than the end of February or early March.

De Jonge will continue to advise unvaccinated people to use an mRNA vaccine, such as those from Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna, for their first injection series, in accordance with advice by the Dutch Health Council.

The effectiveness of Nuvaxovid is between 60% and 90%, De Jonge wrote. According to the Health Council, this is comparable to the mRNA vaccines when they were allowed on the market.

The Health Council also advised the health ministry not to use Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine as a booster shot "for the time being," saying boosters from the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines seem to work better.

De Jonge also implemented this advice Friday evening, adding "for the booster campaign, I will stick to the primary use of an mRNA vaccine as protection against COVID-19," he wrote to the Tweede Kamer.