Novavax vaccine proved highly effective

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In a study involving more than 14,000 subjects, the Novavax vaccine proved highly effective, with an 89.7 percent response rate.

Novavax is the next vaccine candidate that is expected to be approved in the EU this year, vaccinologist and head of the National Vaccination Panel Ursula Wiedermann-Schmidt told today’s Ö1 Morgenjournal. In this process, the spike protein – i.e. the surface molecule of the virus – is used and mixed with an active ingredient booster, which is supposed to guarantee that the vaccination then also triggers a correspondingly strong immune response. Thus, Novavax does not consist of whole viruses, but of components of the virus, the expert explained.

In the United Kingdom, a randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial conducted at 33 sites in the United Kingdom evaluated the efficacy of Novavax. For this purpose, 14,039 adults between the ages of 18 and 84 were administered either two doses of Novavax or placebo 21 days apart.

27.9 percent of participants were 65 years of age or older, and 44.6 percent had comorbidities that are considered risk factors for severe Covid 19 courses: Chronic respiratory disease, cardiac, renal, neurological, liver disease, weakened immune system or obesity.

Vaccine efficacy was determined using virologically confirmed mild, moderate or severe SARS-CoV-2 infections in which symptoms began at least seven days after the second injection and in subjects who tested negative for coronavirus infection at baseline.

Infections were reported in 10 subjects in the vaccine group and 96 in the placebo group – with symptom onset at least 7 days after the second injection, for a vaccine efficacy of 89.7 percent.

No hospitalizations or deaths were reported among the 10 covid cases that occurred in the vaccine group. Five cases of severe infection were reported, all of which were in the placebo group. An analysis showed 86.3 percent efficacy against the alpha variant and 96.4 percent against non-alpha variants (such as delta). Vaccine reactions were mild and transient, consistent with the pattern previously known from vaccines: pain at the injection site, systemic partly headache or fatigue, and muscle aches.