Protein-based Novavax vaccine available for adults only in Jeffco to protect against COVID
A Novavax vaccine against COVID-19 is now available at Jefferson County Public Health in Lakewood. The new vaccine is a protein-based vaccine, like other routine immunizations. This vaccine is only available for adults.
Novavax requires two doses to be considered fully vaccinated, with each dose administered three to eight weeks apart.
This new vaccine is more comparable to other protein-based solutions to treat pertussis, tetanus, shingles and hepatitis b. That's different from the other COVID vaccines, which are viral vector or mRNA-based.
"The Novavax vaccine contains a small amount of synthetic spike protein as well as an ingredient called an adjuvant, which works to boost your immune system," said Dr. Sarah Rowan, medical director at JCP, in the press release. "These two components then work hand-in-hand to teach your body how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Because of the protein-based technology, this vaccine looks a bit more like many of the vaccines we are more familiar with, and it's been found to be highly effective."
According to Jeffco Public Health, the FDA and CDC authorized the the new vaccine for use in July, but only recently did the vaccine become available in Colorado.
The Novavax vaccine is available now at the JCPH clinic; the COVID-19 walk-in clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Other COVID-19 vaccines are also available.
"We are hopeful that it can provide a beacon of hope and a path to better protection for the folks in our community who may have been hesitant about receiving an mRNA vaccine," said Christine Billings, director of emergency preparedness and infectious disease at JCPH, in the press release. "We know that vaccination against COVID-19 remains our best line of defense, and we want to celebrate any way we can help more folks get vaccinated safely, effectively and quickly before we head back into fall, a time we know respiratory diseases spread more easily."
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