COVID vaccines: FDA to meet over Novavax
The coronavirus vaccine has already been used in Europe, Asia
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee is meeting virtually on Tuesday to discuss a request for emergency use authorization (EUA) by Novavax for its COVID-19 vaccine.
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is reviewing the biotechnology company's NVX-CoV2373 COVID-19 vaccine in individuals 18 years of age and older.
Novavax is a protein vaccine, a more traditional kind of shot than mRNA vaccines, and would be a top choice for boosters, regardless of which kind of vaccines Americans got first.
Protein vaccines have been used for years to prevent hepatitis B, shingles and other diseases.
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Novavax is already used in parts of Europe and other countries, but manufacturing problems previously held up the vaccine.
CEO Stanley Erck told The Associated Press earlier this month that those issues are "well behind" them and that the Serum Institute of India – where shots are partially produced – recently passed an FDA inspection.
In this image provided by the Serum Institute of India, vials of freshly manufactured Novavax COVID-19 vaccines wait to be labeled in 2022, in Pune, India. (Serum Institute of India for Novavax via AP / AP Newsroom)
Notably, while none of the world's COVID-19 vaccines have proved as strong against omicron, Novavax research chief Dr. Gregory Glenn said tests show Novavax shots do trigger cross-protective antibodies.
Like other companies, Novavax is making shots to better target the variant.
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If the FDA authorizes the vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would have to make decisions next.
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Data from the agency shows 221.5 million are fully vaccinated in the U.S. and 103.9 million have a first booster dose. More than 15 million have gotten a second booster.
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Data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center shows that more than a million people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.