Top vaccine experts have been blindsided by confirmation Novavax has firmed as the favourite to be used in next year’s mass Covid-19 booster programme with no strong evidence confirming New Zealanders will need a third vaccine dose.

Fran Priddy​, the clinical evaluation director at Malaghan Institute and Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand’s clinical director, only found out through Stuff that 5.36 million courses of Novavax vaccine, which is yet to gain Medsafe approval, are due early next year, likely as part of a mass booster programme.

University of Auckland vaccinologist Helen Petousis-Harris,​ who has advised the WHO on vaccines, also found out through the media.

“Usually approval is granted by Medsafe first before a purchase comes. Is the horse leading the cart?” she said. “This is complete news to me. I am a bit irked that I know nothing.”

Research was yet to confirm whether a booster dose would be needed, particularly for healthy adults, James Ussher,​ a microbiologist at the University of Otago who is on the government's Covid-19 vaccine technical advisory group said.

The Delta outbreak has led to a surge in vaccinations, which have far exceeded the Government’s plans. There were fears demand would outstrip supply before an extra shipment of Pfizer was promised on Tuesday.

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Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins on Wednesday confirmed most of the 5.36 million Novavax courses ordered through a pre-purchase agreement announced last year would arrive in early 2022.

Novavax is one of four vaccines with which the Government has a pre-purchase agreement but the other three, Pfizer, Janssen and AstraZeneca, are further along in the process and have provisional approval. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has previously said it was easier to deal with one vaccine in the roll-out.

Priddy wondered why other vaccines couldn’t be included in the roll-out now which she said should be sped up amid the Delta outbreak.

As many as 63 per cent of those eligible have had one dose of Pfizer, while 33 per cent are fully vaccinated.

“Now things have changed with the Delta we want to go even quicker,” she said. “Another way to increase the vaccination programme or to get it going more quickly is to add Pfizer as first dose and something else as a second dose.

“I think the Government's planning ahead is good but until data on whether and when some groups may need a booster is out we can’t be sure yet.”

Petousis-Harris hadn’t seen any data on Novavax being used as a booster shot.

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She said the roll-out should continue with just the Pfizer vaccine as there were “huge” logistics around including another type of vaccine in the programme.

Vaccinators had to be specially trained in handling the Pfizer vaccine, which has to be stored as sub-zero temperatures and can only survive in a domestic freezer for two weeks. Other vaccines had other protocols.

Ussher said research was under way into whether Covid-19 vaccines waned over time and whether they gave less protection against more virulent strains. Further research was looking into whether it was best for people get a third dose of the same vaccine, or mix and match.

But the two-dose Pfizer vaccination scheme was still strong.

”The vaccine remains highly effective against hospitalisations and severe disease,” he said.

”There is a very real possibility that a booster dose may be required at some point but just not yet. The priority at the moment is on the first and second doses.”