A fourth COVID-19 vaccine, produced by Maryland-based Novavax, will arrive in Virginia in mid-August, the Virginia Department of Health announced, giving adults another option for immunization.
But studies suggest that most people who are unvaccinated have no intention of getting a shot.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave its approval of Novavax on July 19, and the federal government has purchased 3.2 million doses of the two-shot series. It allocated 20,800 doses for Virginia.
Novavax, already authorized in more than 35 countries, is not available as a booster or third dose. It’s not available for children, either.
In trials, Novavax was 90% effective against lab-confirmed, symptomatic infection and 100% effective against moderate and severe disease. But it wasn’t tested against the more transmissible omicron variant, which rewrote experts’ understanding of what COVID-19 vaccines can and can’t do.
Novavax says its shot could generate an immune response to omicron, but scientists are still studying.
Unlike the other three vaccines, Novavax contains a small amount of the COVID spike protein, which elicits an immune response, and an adjuvant, which boosts the immune response.
Other protein-based vaccines have been used widely for decades, as opposed to the mRNA technology of Pfizer and Moderna, which is relatively new. Vaccines to prevent hepatitis B and whooping cough are also protein-based.
Side effects include site tenderness, fatigue, headaches and muscle pain, similar to other vaccines.
The protection Novavax offers seemingly doesn’t drop off as quickly as Pfizer or Moderna, Dr. Wes Shepherd, a VCU Health pulmonologist, said in May. That gives the protein-based shot an advantage over the widely used mRNA vaccines. As Americans tire of repeated vaccinations, a longer-lasting shot could be of great importance.
In Virginia, 72% of the population is fully vaccinated — which is still defined as having two shots of Moderna or Pfizer and one of Johnson & Johnson. Experts say people with a booster shot are better protected. A study from the University of Virginia determined the immunity level from Pfizer dropped 40% over several months. Moderna’s level of immunity dropped slightly less.
Interest in new vaccinations has been low in recent months. According to a recent poll by Morning Consult, 20% of Americans are unwilling to be vaccinated against COVID, a number essentially unchanged over the past year.
It’s unclear if Novavax will do anything to change the minds of the vaccine hesitant.
For residents waiting for a vaccine based on a different technology than those available now, “we urge you to consider the two-dose Novavax COVID-19 vaccine,” state vaccination coordinator Christy Gray said. “Novavax is safe and effective and uses technology commonly used for decades.”
