According to CNET report, a committee of scientists and doctors advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted on Tuesday to recommend that FDA authorize Novavax covid-19 vaccine for adults aged 18 and over**
If FDA accepts the recommendation of the Committee and authorizes Novavax, i.e. two doses of vaccine are injected every three weeks, this will be the fourth covid-19 vaccine to win emergency use authorization in the United States.
This will also make Novavax the first protein based covid-19 vaccine, a more traditional technology for vaccines such as herpes zoster. As it is a more mature type of vaccine, Novavax is expected to fill the unmet needs of those who are hesitant to accept the mRNA vaccine produced by Pfizer and Moderna. The use of Johnson & Johnson's third licensed vaccine has been restricted.
This protein based vaccine is also easier to store and distribute than other vaccines. In a clinical trial, Novavax vaccine has 90% effect on symptomatic covid-19 (mainly alpha) variants, but more studies are needed to determine its response to Omicron.
According to the New York Times, Novavax is an early beneficiary of the "operation warp speed" program, but the company has encountered manufacturing problems, and FDA needs to confirm before authorizing its vaccine. Then, vaccines are usually subject to the same voting and recommendation procedures of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its advisory committee before they can be made available to the public.
Novavax submitted an emergency use authorization application to FDA in January. It has been authorized to use in other countries, including Canada.
Covid-19 cases in the United States have risen sharply in recent weeks, but have begun to stabilize, especially in the east coast and the Midwest. Experts expect another surge of cases in autumn or winter. The FDA committee is scheduled to hold a meeting later this month to discuss new formulations of covid-19 vaccine, which may better target Omicron and its variants.
According to the CDC, about 83% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of covid-19 vaccine.