The High Authority for Health has given the green light to the vaccine from the American laboratory Novavax. With the Janssen vaccine, it should be aimed at “mRNA vaccine reluctant people”.
A new arrival and a comeback. With the vaccines from Novavax and Janssen, health authorities hope to convince those who are afraid of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. The High Authority for Health (HAS), responsible for guiding the government in its vaccine policy, gave the green light to the American laboratory Novavax this Friday. It thus becomes the fifth vaccine against Covid-19 to be available in France. Also, the HAS has published new recommendations on the Janssen vaccine, already available for people over 55 but which, in fact, is hardly used anymore.
Even if four vaccines were previously authorized in France, it is those of Pfizer and Moderna, based on messenger RNA which are almost exclusively used. The other two, those of AstraZeneca and Janssen, are redirected to poor countries via the international Covax programme. They both use more classic technologies, as does newcomer Novavax.
Distrust of messenger RNA
The HAS continues to believe that it is necessary “favor” mRNA vaccines for the first injections as well as for the booster, due to their high efficiency. However, it considers that Novavax and Janssen “represent an additional option” for people who “unwilling or unable to receive” mRNA vaccines. These are the “mRNA vaccine reluctant people” or of “those who experienced a serious adverse event after a first injection”. However, because of the epidemic outbreak due to the omicron variant, it is “essential to complete the coverage for the primary vaccination and to accelerate the booster campaign” among these people, insists the HAS. At this stage, there are still 4.9 million people aged 12 and over who have not received a single dose of vaccine. Some unvaccinated people point out their distrust of mRNA technology.
Asked Friday morning on Europe 1, infectious disease specialist Eric Caumes considered it possible that the arrival of the new vaccine would lift the apprehensions of some unvaccinated because it “uses a technique that we know much better”. Sold under the name Nuvaxovid, Novavax is a so-called “subunit” vaccine: it contains a component of the virus (and not the whole virus like the most conventional vaccines), introduced into the body to trigger an immune response. It is on this technique that vaccines against whooping cough, meningococcal meningitis and hepatitis B are based. Janssen’s vaccine uses the “viral vector” technique (another virus, from the adenovirus family, is used as a platform).
First deliveries at the beginning of February
The first deliveries of Novavax are expected to take place in early February, the health ministry said this week. France is due to receive 3.2 million doses of Novavax in the first quarter, including one million in the first deliveries. At European level, the green light fell on December 21. In its opinion, the HAS defines the conditions of use of Novavax and Janssen for people who do not want or cannot receive an mRNA vaccine.
For the first two doses, these people can be vaccinated with either Janssen (two months between doses) or Novavax (three weeks between doses), provided they are 55 years of age or older. If they are under 55, they can be vaccinated with Novavax. If he is unavailable, Janssen may “exceptionally” to be used.
As a reminder, the HAS believes that Janssen can be used in people aged 55 and over, even if they have had two doses of the mRNA vaccine before. On the other hand, Novavax should never be used as a booster, for lack of clinical trials. In recent months, the Janssen vaccine had been restricted to those over 55 due to an increased risk of side effects in younger people. Initially, it was supposed to be administered in a single dose, but studies have shown that this was not enough.