Vaccine maker Novavax said on Monday that its vaccine is highly effective against COVID-19 and provides protection against all forms of the virus. This has come to the fore in a large and final phase study conducted in the US and Mexico. The company said that the vaccine is about 90 percent effective overall and preliminary data shows that it is safe.
Although the demand for anti-Covid-19 vaccines has decreased in the US, the need for more vaccines remains around the world. The Novavax vaccine is easy to store and transport and is expected to play a key role in expanding the supply of the vaccine to developing countries.
The company said it plans to seek approval for the vaccine for use in the US, Europe, and elsewhere by the end of September, and by then it will be able to produce 100 million doses a month. "Many of our initial doses will go to low- and middle-income countries," Novavax chief executive Stanley Erk told the AP.
According to 'Our World in Data', more than half of the US population has received at least one dose of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine, while less than one percent of people in developing countries have received a single dose of the vaccine.
Novavax's study involved nearly 30,000 people aged 18 and older in the US and Mexico. Two-thirds of them were given two doses of vaccine spaced three weeks apart while the rest were given ineffective (dummy) vaccine. There were 77 cases of Covid-19, of which 14 were from the group that was given the vaccine while the remaining cases were in those who were given the ineffective (dummy) vaccine. None of the vaccinated groups had a moderate or severe disease.
The vaccine was effective on many forms of the virus, including the one that appeared in Britain, which is widely spread in America. In addition, the vaccine was also effective on high-risk groups, including the elderly and those with health problems. Erk said the side effects were mostly minor and there was pain at the injection site. No blood clots or heart problems were detected.
Novavax reported the results in a press release and plans to publish them in a medical journal where independent experts will examine them. The Covid-19 vaccine trains the body to recognize the coronavirus, especially the spike protein that covers it and prepares the body to fight the virus. Novavax is made from copies of that protein made in the laboratory and is different from some other vaccines currently being used on a large scale.
Novavax vaccine can be stored at standard refrigerator temperature and is easy to dispense.
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