Novavax Announces Promising Late-Stage Covid-19 Vaccine Data, More Than 90% Effective
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Novavax announced late-stage data on Monday showing that their vaccine is more than 90 percent effective against Covid-19 across several variants.
"I think this is fantastic news. We need more vaccines in our armamentarium," said Dr. William Moss, International Vaccine Access Center.
Public Health officials said Monday's news from Novavax has huge implications in Maryland and across the globe."It's a very different type of vaccine," said Dr. Moss.
Dr. Moss from Johns Hopkins said the Novavax vaccine candidates may see a role here with booster doses or with younger people who may be hesitant to get the Johnson and Johnson or mRNA vaccines. "We just need more vaccines with this degree of efficacy."
The Novavax late-stage trials show the drug is 100 percent effective in preventing moderate or severe disease with a 93 percent efficacy against predominant variants. Those results are similar to the approved vaccines currently in use but do not have the same cold-chain requirements.
"We need to be able to increase the global vaccine and this is a way to do it," said Dr. Moss.
Governor Larry Hogan toured the Novavax facility last week. "The Novavax vaccine candidate is going to a crucial tool and continuing you address the rise of various strains and future outbreaks around the world," said Hogan.
Dr. Moss credits the vaccination effort as the main reason cases and deaths continue to decline. "Really any death now from Covid-19 is a preventable death," said Dr. Moss. The study included nearly 30,000 volunteers from the U.S. and Mexico.
The Gaithersburg company said it's on track to file for emergency authorization soon and has the ability to manufacture 550 million doses by the end of the year.