The approval of a new protein-based Covid-19 vaccine by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has led to hopes that it could play an important role in persuading millions of Germans who have refused jabs from existing vaccines to get protection against the disease this winter.

The EMA approved the two-dose Novavax vaccine on Monday afternoon. The German government’s vaccination advisory board is expected to follow suit and allow for its use soon, a move that would be welcomed by health experts who are bracing for a huge and imminent wave of infections caused by the new Omicron variant. The first doses of Novavax are expected to be administered in Germany in the new year.

In a survey by the German pollster Forsa this autumn, 56% of participants said their vaccine willingness would rise if vaccines based on so-called “classical methods”, such as Novavax and Valneva, were approved. Only 5% said they would be lured to have a vaccination by monetary reward or the threat of being excluded from activities as a result of their unvaccinated status.