The Novavax vaccine has been proved 90% effective against Covid and will also work against the English and South African variants of the virus.
US based Novavax confirmed the results in phase 3 final tials in the UK showed 89,3% efficacy, also 27% of the people tested in the trial were over 65. The vaccine showed to be more effective against the original virus with a 95,6%, and less – but still effective- against the Kent variant with a 85,6%, with a total of 89,3%.
The UK has already bought 60m doses of the Novavax vaccine, the Covid vaccine shown to be 90% effective against coronavirus. It will be manufactured in the UK, on Teesside, and will probably be included in the vaccination programme with the other two vaccines already in use. In fact, according to the latest trials, Novavax vaccine has been shown to be effective against the Kent variant of the virus, as well as against the South African.
UK regulators now will have to give emergency authorisation in order to add Novavax to the country’s vaccination programme. Paul Heath, Chief investigator of the UK Novavax trial, announced: “We can expect to see if required new vaccines, or bivalent vaccines where two different strains are joined together in one vaccine, and that now can be done at pace so that we can keep up with these variants should they prove to be difficult to prevent with the vaccine that we have at the moment.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed introducing Novavax vaccine in the UK’s vaccination programme will be of great significance in the country’s fight against coronavirus. “This is positive news and, if approved by the medicines regulator, the Novavax vaccine will be a significant boost to our vaccination programme and another weapon in our arsenal to beat this awful virus,” Hancock said.
Boris Johnson also took it on Twitter to share the good news. Further announcements are expected soon.
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