Santa Clara County offers newly-approved Novavax COVID-19 vaccine
SAN JOSE – Health officials in Santa Clara County announced Tuesday that they are now offering the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, which was recently approved by federal regulators.
According to the county's Department of Public Health, the shots will be available at all County Health System vaccination sites. The shots are administered in two doses, given 3-8 weeks apart.
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines which use mRNA technology, Novavax uses traditional protein-based technology to develop immunity. Officials said both types of vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious illness and death from the virus.
The vaccine is being offered as an alternative to a small percentage of people who are not able to receive the mRNA shots due to allergic reactions.
Health officials said Novavax is authorized as a first series vaccination option for adults 18 and older. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved Novavax for use as a booster.
"Adding the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine to our inventory adds another option to assist us in reaching those Santa Clara County residents who still remain unvaccinated," said Dr. Jennifer Tong, Associate Chief Medical Officer at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose.
According to county health data, 86.6% of the county's more than 2 million residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday. About 68.6% have received at least one booster shot.
Officials said Novavax does not contain preservatives, latex, metals, antibiotics, tissues such as aborted fetal cells, gelatin or any materials from any animal. The vaccine does not contain food proteins, gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, nut products or any nut byproducts.
Patients interested in receiving Novavax are being urged to contact their physician or to visit https://sccfreevax.org to schedule an appointment.
