Novavax’s COVID shot open for adolescents, CDC says
Novavax Inc.’s (Novavax) protein-based COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in adolescents between 12 to 17 years old, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Monday. It was just last week that the vaccine received authorisation from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for its use for the same age group.
The successive approvals are hoped to drive uptake of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine among those skeptical of messenger RNA (mRNA) shots from pharmaceutical giants Moderna and Pfizer – having multiple types of vaccines offers more options and flexibility for the public, jurisdictions, and vaccine providers, the CDC said.
Novavax, however, does not expect further sales of its vaccine in the US this year and pointed to softer demand in the face of a global vaccine supply glut.
According to reports, only 11,990 doses of the Novavax vaccine has been administered in the US – well before the recent recommendations. The vaccine has already been cleared in countries such as Japan and Australia for use among adolescents; it is also plagued by manufacturing snags, regulatory delays, and sluggish uptake in European markets.
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
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