What Is Novavax and Is It Better Than Other COVID Vaccines?
The FDA just cleared a COVID vaccine called Novavax and the government has secured 3.2 million doses . This gives us a fourth option for COVID vaccination. So what is it, how effective is it, and who should consider getting it?
Like the Pfizer vaccine, Novavax is given in two doses three weeks apart. It’s legal for people aged 18 and over, and the company says they’re working on a booster and vaccine for kids. The FDA granted Novavax an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), the same designation other COVID vaccines received when they first became available. The next step is the CDC’s decision on whether to recommend this vaccine. After this green light, which is expected next week, the vaccine should become publicly available.
How is Novavax different from other COVID vaccines?
The biggest difference is how the vaccine works. We currently have two mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) and one DNA vaccine (Johnson & Johnson). The Novavax vaccine takes a different approach: it’s protein-based.
All vaccines cause our immune system to produce antibodies against the coronavirus spike protein. mRNA vaccines send instructions (in the form of RNA) to our body to create a protein, after which our immune system recognizes this protein as an invader and elicits the desired immune response. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine provides instructions in the form of DNA packaged inside an inactivated cold virus.
In contrast, Novavax delivers the spike protein itself along with an adjuvant made from soapwood. (The job of an adjuvant is to boost the immune response; many non-COVID vaccines also contain some type of adjuvant.) This vaccine has been slower to make because the company needs to actually make all those spike proteins, a process that involves insect cells (no part insects remain in the vaccine). A similar process is used to make some influenza vaccines .
Is there a reason why I would like this instead of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine?
Well… not really in the US. If you’ve put off getting a COVID vaccine because you don’t trust mRNA technology (which should be obvious by now, it’s quite safe), this is a type of vaccine that’s made through a process similar to other, more traditional vaccines. And if you’re allergic to an ingredient in other vaccines, this one might be a good option because it contains other ingredients.
The safety and efficacy of the Novavax vaccine does not appear to be much different from other COVID vaccines. The general side effects are similar (fatigue, arm pain), as is the possibility of adverse reactions (myocarditis, anaphylaxis if you are allergic to an ingredient); these reactions are still very rare.
In other parts of the world where stocks of mRNA vaccines are limited or where ultra-cold storage is difficult, Novavax is a good option . It can be stored at refrigerator temperature.
The point is, it’s just another vaccine. If you have the opportunity to get one, this is probably a good choice. But at the moment, most people who want a COVID vaccine have received it, so it’s quite a moot point. However, when the time comes for upgraded boosters, it will be interesting to see if the Novavax booster outperforms the others. But these pictures are not yet available, and the data is still incomplete.