Novavax COVID-19 vaccine receives backing from European Medicines Agency

The European Medicines Agency has backed the Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine for adults as a booster shot to other COVID-19 vaccines.

Nuvaxovid, designed to target the original viral strain that emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019, is being recommended by the EMA for individuals who had been previously inoculated with either Nuvaxovid or another COVID-19 vaccine. Though developed and debuted long after the mRNA vaccines, the Novavax vaccine was developed with the hope that individuals skeptical of the newer mRNA technology would be incentivized to get vaccinated with more familiar technologies. 

The EMA’s recommendation of Nuvaxovid comes on the heels of their backing of two separate COVID-19 vaccine boosters designed to target the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. The bivalent shots, targeting both the BA.1 Omicron variant and the original viral strain, were developed by Moderna and the Pfizer/BioNTech teams.  

Though uptake of Nuvaxovid has been tepid in the United States, where the vaccine has been available since February of this year, the hope is that it may still offer a booster option for those who have previously received other vaccines, broadening the spectrum of potential COVID-19 protection. 

Source: EU regulator backs use of Novavax COVID shot as a booster | Reuters