The protein-based vaccine was announced from the coming week, according to the Ministry of Health. However: “An exact delivery date has not yet been communicated by the manufacturer.” More than 31,300 Austrians have currently registered for vaccination with Novavax, according to a broadcast in the federal states.
750,000 cans ordered
Austria has ordered 750,000 doses of Novavax for the first quarter of 2022. This is intended to address in particular those people who have previously refused vaccination. The Novavax agent is the fifth corona vaccine that has been approved in the EU. Two doses are injected about three weeks apart. It is a protein vaccine – so it is based on a different technology than the previously available corona preparations.
The effectiveness for protection against symptomatic infections was given by the EU medicines authority EMA at around 90 percent. If all 31,329 people who have registered so far also get vaccinated, that corresponds to around 0.35 percent of the total population. According to the office of the City Councilor for Health Peter Hacker (SPÖ), 8,500 people have registered in Vienna, which affects 0.45 percent of the city’s population.
No “run” on vaccine expected
In almost every federal state there have been pre-registrations for Novavax, only in Styria this possibility did not exist. There are no lists of registrations for the Novavax vaccine. According to vaccination coordinator Michael Koren, enough vaccines will be available. They will be available on special days at the vaccination routes and from resident doctors. He doesn’t perceive a “run”. On the first day, however, he recommended not queuing at the vaccination lines in the morning, because there were enough available and those who came later could also receive Novavax on request.
Most registrations in percentage and absolute numbers were in Lower Austria, where almost 10,000 people have pre-registered for the corona vaccination with the protein-based vaccine. On Thursday there were exactly 9,916, said Notruf NÖ on request, that is 0.58 percent of the Lower Austrian population. Since December 23 last year, the federal state has been able to register.
More than 5000 reservations in Upper Austria
In Upper Austria, where the vaccination rate is the lowest at 65.4 percent, 5,070 people or 0.34 percent of the population had registered for a Novavax vaccination by Wednesday afternoon. As soon as the vaccine is available on the vaccination lines, the country will send you an SMS notification that registration is possible. In Burgenland, where 75.8 percent of the population has valid vaccination protection, around 350 people registered for immunization with Novavax via the pre-registration system by Thursday. With 0.12 percent of the Burgenland population, there is also the least interest in Novavax.
There is just as little interest in Vorarlberg, where, according to the state, 780 people have currently registered for a Novavax vaccination. That is 0.19 percent of the population. 0.27 percent of the population or 1,550 people have registered in Carinthia. The country is expected to increase interest once the vaccine is actually available. According to the state media center, 1,663 people have registered for the Novavax vaccination in Salzburg. That is around 0.30 percent of the Salzburg population. Registration has been possible there since December 28, 2021.
In Tyrol, around 3,550 registrations (0.47 percent of the population) for the vaccine from the Novavax company have been registered via the “Tirol impft” system, the state said on APA request. As soon as the vaccine is available in Tyrol, the people who have been registered will receive a message by email or text message that they can book a specific vaccination appointment via www.tirolimpft.at, it was emphasized.
Source: Nachrichten
