(WXYZ) — There soon could be another vaccine available in the fight to protect the world from COVID-19. The Maryland-based company Novavax has completed its late-stage clinical trials, and the results are very positive.
Novavax says its vaccine is safe and was slightly more than 90 percent effective overall against COVID-19. In addition, the vaccine provided 100 percent protection against moderate and severe COVID-19 cases, and it was about 93 percent effective against several variants.
The results come from the company’s Phase 3 trial, which involved nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and Mexico. Some participants were given a placebo. The others received the vaccine. There were 63 COVID cases that emerged from the placebo group, and only 14 mild cases from the vaccine group.
Here is some more information about the Novavax vaccine: It can be stored at standard refrigerator temperatures. Two doses are required for maximum protection. And, the study showed the vaccine was generally well-tolerated. The most common side effects were pain at the injection site, fatigue, headaches and muscle pain. Of course, these are the same symptoms associated with the other vaccines by Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J.
Novavax is expected to apply in the U.S., Europe, India and South Korea for emergency authorization use of the vaccine in the third quarter of this year. Once the vaccine is approved, Novavax says it can produce up to 100 million doses per month by the end of September.
The priority is for the vaccine to be used in developing countries where vaccine supplies are critically needed. The company says the vaccine may be used here in the U.S. as booster shots, if necessary.
As you know, our country has plenty of vaccine doses available from other manufacturers. What we need now is an increase in the demand for vaccinations, so we can get past this pandemic.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
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