Hundreds of thousands of doses of the Novavax coronavirus vaccine bought by the government for an estimated €15 mn may not be used and will soon be out of date, Trouw reported on Friday

The Novavax vaccine is suitable for people who do not want a messenger RNA dose. The mRNA type of vaccine uses nanoparticles or liposomes to deliver the mRNA protein and trigger the immune system to produce antibodies.

Some 840,000 doses were bought but fewer than a thousand people have taken up the vaccine. Since March 11, when the vaccine became available, 655 people have been vaccinated and 329 are still waiting.

A health ministry spokesman told the paper the vaccines were bought to cover demand in 2022 and 2023. According to Trouw, however, the vaccines will be out of date by August 31 of this year.

The ministry has decided to donate 420,000 doses to other countries. It is doubtful they will want them because vaccine supplies have increased there as well, the paper said.