European Union officials are hoping the approval of the Novavax shot, with its alternative technology to mRNA vaccines, will convince more people to roll up their sleeves for the jab.
It comes as Europe battles a major outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 which is thought to be more transmissible than other strains of the virus.
The EMA labelled the treatment “robust” and confirmed that it had satisfied EU criteria for “efficacy, safety and quality”. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said she was “particularly pleased” to see the Novavax vaccine authorised given the emergence of the Omicron variant “May this authorisation offer a strong encouragement to everyone who has not yet been vaccinated or boosted, that now is the time to do so.”
The Novavax vaccine does not need to be stored at very low temperatures like its mRNA counterparts and can be distributed more easily to remote areas. “Vaccination and boosting to increase protection against COVID-19 is today more important than ever if we are to stem the wave of infections and counter the emergence and spread of new variants,” she said.
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