The newly approved vaccine, called Nuvaxovid, has been eagerly awaited by some, as it works differently than those used so far.

The first Covid vaccine was approved by the EMA just over a year ago, and the first doses arrived in Luxembourg shortly before Christmas 2020. Around 450,000 people have been jabbed with the Biontech/Pfizer, Astrazeneca, Moderna or Janssen vaccines. Now there is a new kid in town, produced by the US biotech firm Novavax.

Nuvaxovid is often called an "inactivated vaccine", but experts point out this is not entirely correct - it is a protein vaccine. Unlike the previously approved vaccines, it is neither an mRNA, nor a vector vaccine, but it a does contain a lab-grown version of the Sars-Cov-2 virus protein. This is similar to the common flu vaccines. A true inactivated vaccine (also sometimes called "dead vaccine") contains actual inactivated virus particles, which are no longer able to reproduce. This is the case for the vaccine from French-Austrian company Valneva, which has not yet been approved.

Luxembourg has now ordered 30,000 doses of the new Novavax product. The plan is to secure another 69,000 doses as an option, Health Minister Paulette Lenert stated in a response to a parliamentary question from the CSV.

The new vaccine could be particularly useful in developing countries, as it can be stored in a fridge for several years and even at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

The European Medication Agency EMA is also currently evaluating vaccines from Valneva, Sanofi and the Chinese firme Sinovac.