Poland rolls out vaccine against new COVID-19 variant

The Polish government has launched a new vaccination drive against COVID-19, tailored to the XBB.1.5 subvariant.  

Photo:

PAP/Grzegorz Michałowski

The new vaccine is available from Wednesday, the Polish health ministry said.

Produced by Novavax, it is designed to combat a new subvariant of COVID-19, called XBB.1.5, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Called Nuvaxovid, the new jab is for people from the age of 12, officials said.

Those who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 will receive two doses in the space of three weeks, the PAP news agency reported.

➡️ Dziś w nocy zostaną wystawione skierowania na szczepienie szczepionką Nuvaxovid zaktualizowaną dla podwariantu XBB.1.5. 💉 Można ją przyjąć w ramach podstawowego szczepienia albo jako dawkę przypominającą. ❕ Sprawdź kto może się zaszczepić oraz jak zapisać się na szczepienie… pic.twitter.com/VwjsonhHl2

— Ministerstwo Zdrowia (@MZ_GOV_PL) December 5, 2023

The updated vaccine can also be administered as another dose in a series of doses, according to officials.

Poland's health ministry has called on people from the age of 60, those with reduced immunity and healthcare workers to get a dose of the Novavax vaccine.

Patients can register for the jab at healthcare clinics, pharmacies, through the pacjent.gov.pl website, and (until December 16) through the 989 hotline, the PAP news agency reported. 

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, gov.pl

Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Marcin Matuszewski.