Unvaccinated Americans will soon have the option of a new shot to protect themselves from the ever-evolving Covid-19 virus: the Novavax vaccine.
The coming Covid vaccination has raised hopes of wider acceptance among vaccine skeptics. It uses traditional protein-based technology, unlike its mRNA counterparts. But experts say it still may not convince a large number of people who aren’t ready to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated.
“I don’t think an injection like Novavax with old technology would suddenly convince unvaccinated people to say, ‘Now, I want the vaccine, now I believe the vaccine will help. I don’t have to go to the hospital and the ICU,” said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and member of an independent advisory group for the Food and Drug Administration United States, told CNBC Make It.
On Wednesday, FDA authority Novavax injection for adults 18 years of age and older. Once approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it will only be available as a two-dose main series, rather than a booster dose – meaning only unvaccinated Americans will be able to receive it. Okay.
Based on CDC data Since the beginning of June, approximately 27 million adults in the US have yet to receive a Covid shot, significantly hindering efforts by Americans to finally force Covid into an endemic, controllable stage. Okay. The US has been struggling with another surge in Covid cases – this time, fueled by omicron subvariant like BA.5 – and unless the country’s vaccination rates improve, a more serious variant is worth worrying about may appear soon.
Here’s how Novavax’s Covid vaccine can help, and why many unvaccinated people can still pass it on.
The appeal of new vaccines to those afraid of mRNA technology
The Novavax injection is the fourth Covid shot approved by the US FDA and the first to use protein technology – a decades-old antiviral treatment used in many routine immunizations, such as hepatitis B and shingles vaccinations.
It is highly effective, according to clinical data: Two doses were 90% effective in preventing illness from Covid when tested in a study involving about 30,000 adults 18 years of age and older. according to FDA. Notably, the study was conducted from December 2020 to September 2021, a few months before the appearance of the omicron variant of Covid.
Novavax’s shot works differently from its mRNA counterparts, but achieves the same result: teaching your body how to fight Covid. It injects copies of the mutant protein – a molecule found on coronaviruses – and an ingredient called a modifier into your body’s cells, creating an immune response to the virus.
“Novavax basically uses the same approach as mRNA vaccines, but they make the protein in a factory,” said Dr. Robert Schooley, an infectious disease specialist at UC San Diego Health.
Guy Palmer, a professor of pathology and infectious diseases at Washington State University, said the Novavax vaccine could appeal to Americans. lie believes that mRNA vaccines are unsafe, due to the novelty of the technology and the misconception that they can alter human DNA.
“There is a slightly open door there for non-mRNA vaccines like Novavax,” says Palmer.
Vaccine denialism is a cultural issue
Unvaccinated Americans may find protein-based injections safer than mRNA injections: Morning consultation poll Last week, about 28% of unvaccinated people surveyed said they consider protein-based shots to be safe, while only 17% said the same about mRNA vaccines.
But 77% still say they wouldn’t get protein-based Covid footage if it were authorized in the US
The breach points to a larger problem at hand: Vaccine denialism has become a cultural issue, regardless of the technology behind the shots. He said that many unvaccinated Americans, especially those with far-right political leanings, are now motivated by hardline ideas like government distrust.
In one Kaiser . Family Foundation Poll released in May, only 14% of Republicans surveyed said they have “great confidence or credibility” in President Joe Biden. to provide reliable information about the Covid vaccine. The poll also notes that Republicans have one of the lowest vaccination rates, at just 55 percent.
Even today’s most popular anti-vaccination argument – that vaccines are pointless, because they don’t always prevent breakthrough infections – can be the cover for those kinds of tough ideas. . (No vaccine is 100% effective and staying up to date on your Covid vaccines can greatly reduce your chances severe illness, hospitalization or death.)
Schooley said. “Providing reasonable explanations and alternatives like Novavax to address some concerns doesn’t necessarily help you get over the fact that there’s only an aversion to vaccination.”
Novavax vaccine is still good news
Dean Blumberg, head of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Health, said the drug’s entry into the US market could still be good news.
Blumberg says another source of vaccine is “always good” in case other companies run into production difficulties. It can ensure that an event similar to the’s been short on formula lately He added that will not happen with a Covid vaccine.
Blumberg also emphasizes that any progress in birth control vaccination should be celebrated.
“I’m not sure how many unvaccinated people left in the US would be interested in getting this Novavax vaccine – but it’s one more tool in the toolbox,” he said. “Even if only a few people take advantage of being vaccinated with it, that’s great.”
Offit says Novavax could have a bigger impact on the road: Its specific omicron-enhanced injections could be ready for federal approval this fall or winter, and preclinical data shows they are capable of providing enhanced immunity against omicron and its sub-variants.
“You have a certain segment of the population that is clearly interested in injecting as many doses as possible,” said Offit, adding that people might see the Novavax booster as “an advantage” over a single shot. the same as their previous doses.
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