A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a; Credit: Dado Ruvic / Reuters

On Friday 25 February 2022, the Government Council of Luxembourg decided to follow the recommendation of the Superior Council for Infectious Diseases (Conseil supérieur des maladies infectieuses - CSMI) issued on 23 February 2022, to offer the Nuvaxovid vaccine (Novavax) against COVID-19.

The Nuvaxovid vaccine is composed of protein subunits, based on the "classic" technology used for decades for the production of vaccines, such as vaccines against whooping cough, hepatitis B or the Human papilloma virus (HPV).

Vaccination in Luxembourg with Novavax will start from 1 March 2022.

Therapeutics and dosage

The Nuvaxovid vaccine can be used for the vaccination of adults aged eighteen or over against COVID-19, according to a primary vaccination schedule with two doses of 5 μg (0.5 ml), 28 days apart.

It can also be used:

  • as the third dose as part of a primary vaccination (with Nuvaxovid) of immunocompromised people, people undergoing an organ transplant and people on kidney dialysis (recommendations from the CSMI of December 2021 and January 2022), according to a schedule at 0, 28 and 84 days (0, 4 and 12 weeks);
  • as an optimisation dose (booster dose) after a single dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen vaccine, from 28 days after vaccination with COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen;
  • as a homologous booster dose for all persons receiving a complete primary vaccination course with Nuvaxovid, from three months after the last dose;
  • as a heterologous booster dose for anyone who has experienced medically significant adverse effects after primary vaccination with an mRNA or viral vector vaccine.

The use of the Nuvaxovid vaccine is authorised within the framework of a heterologous vaccination schedule ("mix-and-match") and in particular (recommendations of the CSMI of July 2021 and January 2022):

  • in people who have started a vaccination schedule with Vaxzevria, including in people who, following a first dose of Vaxzevria vaccine, presented with a deep thromboembolic syndrome with thrombocytopenia;
  • in people who have experienced myocarditis or pericarditis, or another serious adverse effect, following administration of a 1st dose of mRNA vaccine.
  • in the event of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the six months preceding vaccination or in the event of intercurrent infection, the administration of Nuvaxovid follows a schedule similar to the schedule recommended by the CSMI in January 2022 for vaccines to mRNA.

In the absence of data relating to the safety of this vaccine in pregnant women, the CSMI recommends using an mRNA vaccine for primary and booster vaccination in pregnant women.

Vaccine appointment

The Novavax vaccine will initially be administered in vaccination centres only.

Any resident or non-resident with a Luxembourg registration number and aged eighteen and over can be vaccinated with the Novavax vaccine for primary vaccination, with or without an appointment, at one of the three vaccination centres: LuxExpo, Ettelbruck or Esch-Belval.

The administration of booster doses at any of the three vaccination centres is only possible by appointment.

People who wish to receive the Novavax vaccine as a primary vaccination or as a booster dose must notify the vaccination centre.