The European Union's drug regulator has said it will decide whether the Novavax coronavirus jab will become the fifth vaccine approved for the bloc at a meeting next Monday, reports AFP.

The US firm's shot uses a more traditional technology than current vaccines, which experts hope could ease hesitancy and scepticism among the unvaccinated.

“Our human medicines committee will hold an extraordinary meeting on December 20 to review the application for the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax,” the European Medicines Agency said on Twitter.