Vaccination centres across the country have 94,000 free appointments for vaccination against COVID-19 with the new product, updated to the kraken coronavirus variant. There are 18,000 people signed up for the vaccination.

To date, more than 700,000 doses of the Novavax preparation have been delivered to vaccination centres. The Ministry of Health encourages the vaccination against COVID-19 and recommends that seniors over 60 years of age, anyone over 12 years of age struggling with immunodeficiencies or comorbidities that increase the risk of severe COVID-19, and health care workers in particular receive the preparation.

“Nearly 450,000 people have already been vaccinated with Novavax’s product. By 19 January, the Government Strategic Reserve Agency will have delivered a further 80,000 vaccines to POZs (Primary Health Care Centres), pharmacies, hospitals and Nursing Homes”, said Ministry of Health spokesperson Damian Kuraś.

People can sign up for the vaccination electronically, via the 989 hotline, which is also open on weekends, or at a vaccination centre. This is encouraged by experts.

“From a factual point of view, the aim should be to take the updated vaccine.  Vaccination with an un-updated preparation may not have the intended effect, because it does not cover the Kraken sub-variant of coronavirus, which is highly infectious and, although less pathogenic, the risk of a severe course is not as low as we would like it to be”, said Professor Adam Antczak, a pulmonologist from the Medical University of Lodz.

The Nuvaxovid vaccine modified for the coronavirus sub-variant XBB.1.5. can be taken as part of the basic vaccination or as a booster dose. Vaccination is voluntary and free of charge. Persons 12 years of age or older who have not previously been vaccinated against COVID-19 and those who have been vaccinated and at least six months have passed since their last vaccination may be vaccinated.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński