US FDA authorises Novavax Covid vaccine for emergency use in adults

Los Angeles, July 14

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine in individuals 18 years of age and older.

The Novavax vaccine will be available as two-dose primary series for adults, three weeks apart, Xinhua news agency reported.

The known and potential benefits of the vaccine outweigh its known and potential risks in people 18 years of age and older, and the vaccine may be effective in preventing Covid-19, said the FDA in a statement.

It is the fourth Covid-19 vaccine available in the US, and it uses a different type of vaccine technology than the other three approved vaccines.

The Novavax vaccine contains the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and Matrix-M adjuvant. Adjuvants are incorporated into some vaccines to enhance the immune response of the vaccinated individual, according to the FDA.