Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are a valuable aid in the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic. The vaccines Comirnaty® from Pfizer/BioNTech and Spikevax® from Moderna do not rely on the injection of an attenuated virus but on the administration of “strands of genetic code”. The objective: to educate the immune system so that it triggers an appropriate response against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
Yes, but here it is: at present, many French people remain reluctant to messenger RNA vaccines, often judged (wrongly) “poorly known” or even “experimental”.
Good news: for these vaccine reluctant, the High Authority of Health (HAS) has just given a positive opinion to the vaccines Nuvaxovid® from Novavax and Covid-19 Janssen® from Janssen which “represent an effective alternativeto mRNA vaccines.
Novavax and Janssen, more “classic” vaccines
“HAS recommends favoring mRNA vaccines for primary and booster vaccination: they are very effective, their immunogenicity (the immune response against the virus) is better (…) as a reminder and the hindsight on their use is significant. But, when people do not wish or cannot receive this type of vaccine, the HAS considers that the Nuvaxovid® vaccines from Novavax and Covid-19 Janssen® vaccines from Janssen represent an additional option.“Detail the health authorities in a press release published this Friday, January 14, 2022.
These two vaccines work according to a “classic” technology: an adjuvanted protein vaccine for the Novavax vaccine and a viral vector vaccine for the Janssen vaccine.
Here are the HAS proposals:
- If you are not vaccinated against Covid-19 (no dose) and you are over 55 years old: you can receive two doses of Janssen vaccine (spaced 2 months apart) or two doses of Novavax vaccine (spaced 3 weeks apart) ).
- If you are not vaccinated against Covid-19 (no dose) and you are under 55 years old: you can receive two doses of Novavax vaccine (3 weeks apart).
- If you have only received one dose of Janssen vaccine and you are over 55 years old: you can receive a second Janssen vaccine 2 months after the first injection.
- If you have only received one dose of Covid-19 vaccine (it doesn’t matter which one) and you are over 18: you can receive one dose of Novavax vaccine.
- As a booster dose (3rd dose), if you are over 55 years old: the Janssen vaccine can be used.
Read also :
- Covid vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen, AstraZeneka, Sanofi
- Covid vaccine: pregnant women can be vaccinated from the 1st trimester
- Covid-19: is the AstraZeneca vaccine (really) worse than the others?
