Vaccination

The vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. It allows us to protect ourselves and our fellow citizens. Thanks to the joint efforts of the global medical community, we are now fortunate to have access to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. This is an essential element in the fight against COVID-19 and will help us stem the pandemic and its effects on our health and society.

Discover our 5 good reasons to get vaccinated now.

Luxembourg's COVID-19 vaccination strategy supports access to and availability of safe and effective vaccines as soon as they are made available on the market.

This will mitigate the health, social and economic consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic. The vaccine will help save lives and make the best use of our resources.

It remains important to follow hygiene rules and wear a mask during the implementation of the vaccination strategy.

How to get my "booster" dose - Additional vaccination shot

Immunity after vaccination against COVID-19 decreases over time. It is therefore important to strengthen your immunity with a booster dose.

For those who have completed their initial vaccination with the Moderna, BioNTech/Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Novavax vaccines: may take an appointment  for a booster vaccination against COVID-19, 3 months after your 2nd dose (provided that this was carried out in Luxembourg and that you are a resident).

For persons who have been vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson, the conditions and deadlines are the following:

  • Receipt of a letter for an extra dose 1 month after the vaccination with Johnson & Johnson

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 can receive the booster 1 month after their positive PCR test at the earliest.

The list of physicians and pharmacies participating in the vaccination campaign is available here.

 

Who is elligible for a 4th dose of the vaccine?

According to the recommendation of the Higher Council for Infectious Diseases (CSMI), a 4th dose of COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for the following persons 

  • all persons 60 years of age and older,
  • persons between 12 and 59 years of age with co-morbidities that put them at risk for severe forms of COVID-19,
  • immunocompromised persons,
  • pregnant women,
  • and health professionals.

The 2nd booster dose can also be offered on an individual basis to all other persons aged 12 to 59 years without risk factors and who have not had a recent infection.

However, this 4th dose is not recommended for healthy individuals who have had an SARS-CoV-2 infection (confirmed by PCR or antigen test) after the first booster dose.

The 4th dose is given at an interval of at least 4 months after the booster dose (3rd vaccination dose).

The vaccine product used is a bivalent messenger RNA vaccine (Comirnaty Wuhan/B.A.1 or Spikevax Wuhan/B.A.1 or Comirnaty Wuhan/B.A. 4-5 depending on availability).

This booster dose is intended to maintain the high level of vaccine protection that these individuals have acquired against infection, severe disease and death.

In addition, to be eligible for this 2nd booster dose, the person must have received : 

  • 3 doses of vaccine, i.e. a complete vaccination schedule with a 2-dose vaccine + 1 "booster" dose; or
  • 2 doses of vaccine, i.e. a complete vaccination schedule with the single-dose JCOVDEN vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) + 1 booster dose.

Those concerned can go to a doctor or a pharmacy to be vaccinated. The list of doctors and pharmacies participating in the vaccination campaign are available on the covid19.lu website.

Obtaining a certificate of contraindication to vaccination for health reasons

Any person (resident or frontier worker) who for health reasons cannot be vaccinated can ask their doctor to obtain a certificate of contraindication to vaccination against COVID-19. This form must be completed by the attending physician. If the request is granted, the certificate and a set of free PCR test vouchers are then sent to the patient.

The contraindications to COVID-19 vaccination are defined by the Health Directorate.

FAQ

Who can receive the Nuvaxovid vaccine (Novavax)?

Nuvaxovid vaccine can be used for the COVID-19 vaccination of adults aged 18 years or older, according to a primary vaccination of 2 doses of 5 μg (0.5 ml), with an interval of 28 days.

In addition, it can be used:

  • as a 3rd dose as part of a primary vaccination (with Nuvaxovid) for immunocompromised persons, persons receiving organ transplants and persons undergoing renal dialysis (CSMI recommendations of December 2021 and January 2022), according to a schedule at 0, 28 and 84 days (0, 4 and 12 weeks);
  • as an extra dose (booster) after a single dose of COVID-19 Vaccine JCOVDEN, starting 28 days after vaccination with COVID-19 Vaccine JCOVDEN;
  • as a homologous booster dose for all persons receiving a full primary vaccination with Nuvaxovid, starting 3 months after the last dose;
  • as a heterologous booster dose for anyone who has experienced medically significant side effects after primary vaccination with mRNA or viral vector vaccines

The use of Nuvaxovid vaccine is permitted as part of a heterologous ("mix-and-match") vaccine pattern, and in particular (CSMI recommendations of July 2021 and March 2022):

  • in persons who have received a Vaxzevria vaccination, including persons who, following a 1st dose of Vaxzevria vaccine, have developed a deep thromboembolic syndrome with thrombocytopenia;
  • in individuals who have experienced myocarditis or pericarditis or other serious side effects following a first dose of mRNA vaccine;
  • in the event of SARS-CoV-2 infection within 6 months prior to vaccination, or in the event of intercurrent infection, the administration of Nuvaxovid follows a schedule similar to the schedule recommended by the CSMI in January 2022 for mRNA vaccines.

In the absence of data on the safety of this vaccine in pregnant women, the CSMI recommends using an mRNA vaccine for primary and booster vaccination in pregnant women.

If you wish to get the Novavax vaccine for your 1st injection, you will need:

  • to indicate it immediately upon arrival at the vaccination centre
  • to ask your pharmacist or physician beforehand, when making your appointment, whether they have this type of vaccine in stock

What vaccines are currently available against COVID-19?

5 coronavirus vaccines have received marketing authorisation from the EMA, the European Medicines Agency, and the green light from the European Commission for their use. This process is very important as it ensures the safety and quality of the vaccines as well as their effectiveness.

What is the procedure to get a marketing autorisation for a coronavirus vaccine?

COVID-19 vaccines are developed according to the same strict regulatory requirements for pharmaceutical quality, safety and efficacy, as any other drug.

Before being released on the market, the vaccine goes through several stages, from rigorous tests where the quality of the vaccine is controlled to approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), through a scientific evaluation by the regulatory authorities (EMA and other regulators in EU/EEA countries) before its effectiveness is tested through research first in the laboratory and then on volunteers. It should be noted that the clinical trial programme must be carried out in accordance with the procedures and protocols established by the regulatory authorities. It must also be approved in each case by a medical ethics commission.

Who is responsible if COVID-19 vaccines have a negative impact on public health?

As with any other vaccine, it is the manufacturer of the vaccine that is, in principle, responsible in the event of any adverse public health effects. However, the adverse effect must be due to a problem with the product itself, its composition or production.

The physician who carries out the vaccination is also civilly liable if he or she makes a mistake in handling or administering the vaccine, and if this mistake is the cause of the side effects.

Finally, when a vaccination is imposed by a legal or regulatory provision or recommended by the State, and that vaccination causes the death of the vaccinated person or results in permanent physical incapacity, the State is liable for the damage, without prejudice to any action that may be taken in accordance with ordinary law, and insofar as the damage is not compensable under the Social Insurance Code.

 

Will vaccination against COVID-19 be compulsory?

No. As with most vaccines in our country, vaccination against COVID-19 will be carried out on a voluntary basis.

What should I do if I feel unwell after my vaccination?

Following your vaccination, you may experience some so-called "unwanted" side effects. For more information, please consult the dedicated page here: https://covid19.public.lu/en/vaccination/side-effects.html

I have already had COVID-19, can I still get vaccinated?

A person who has been in contact with the coronavirus can be vaccinated against it. At present, it is impossible to say that a person who has already been in contact with COVID-19 remains immune to the disease. It is also not possible, in the case of immunisation, to predict the duration of this immunisation. Unfortunately, reinfections have been reported.

Is a screening test necessary before getting vaccinated?

No, it is not necessary to get tested for COVID-19 before vaccination. Even if you are unknowingly infected, the vaccine can be administered safely.

Does the vaccine also protect against mutations of the virus?

Mutations do not necessarily affect the efficacy of the vaccine against the virus.

The scientific community and regulatory authorities are monitoring whether the coronavirus is changing over time and whether vaccines can protect people against infection with new variants. If it turns out that adjustments need to be made, science will provide an answer to this question, as it does for other viruses to which we have adapted.

Do I have to be vaccinated against coronavirus every year?

It is not possible at this stage to answer this question, as we do not have sufficient hindsight to know exactly how long the immunisation obtained with the vaccine lasts, whether it covers the various mutations of the virus or whether these require the composition of the vaccine to be regularly modified, as is the case, for example, with seasonal influenza. 

After vaccination, am I immediately immune?

About 2 weeks after the first dose of vaccine, the initial immune response provides partial protection against an infection. However, it takes 2 weeks after the second dose of vaccine for the immune response to be fully developed and for an optimal protection against an infection.

As with other vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccine does not provide 100% protection even after the second vaccination. It is still possible to become infected. Vaccination will reduce the symptoms of the disease.

It is important to continue to respect the protective measures in order to avoid as many infections as possible.​

Can I stop following the protective measures after I have been vaccinated?

No. Even after you have been vaccinated, you must continue to respect the protective measures until the health crisis is effectively under control, in particular through herd immunity. It cannot be ruled out at present that a vaccinated person may no longer be a carrier of the virus. However, it will take some time before this immunity is achieved. It ensures that a sufficiently large number of people are immunised. 

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