Novavax‘s Covid-19 vaccine could be a game changer

Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced the date Novavax will finally become available in Australia.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced that the nation’s peak vaccine body has recommended the use of the Novavax vaccine.

Novavax was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration last week and now has the approval of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.

The vaccine will be available in Australia from 21 February, Mr Hunt revealed.

“I have spoken with the company both last week and this morning amongst many conversations and we’ll be able to commence that program in the week of February 21,” Mr Hunt said.

“What happens from here is now that we’ve got the double green light in Australia, stocks will be released, provided to Australia.”

Novavax’s Covid vaccine could turn out to be a game changer for vaccine sceptics.

Authorities are “hoping” the handful of adults yet to be jabbed will now come forward.

This is the first protein Covid-19 vaccine to receive approval in Australia.

Unlike the BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna jabs that are created using mRNA technology, protein vaccines have been tried and tested for decades.

Here’s what you need to know:

HOW DOES IT WORK

Novavax uses a traditional vaccine technology by using purified pieces of the actual SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spike protein to spur the production of antibodies. Two 0.5ml doses are required 21 days apart.

If a person gets the jab, their immune system recognises the protein as foreign and produces natural defences. The vaccine cannot replicate, nor can it cause Covid-19.

TGA head Professor John Skerritt and Health Minister Greg Hunt on Thursday said it may be the vaccine needed to convince the unvaxxed to get Covid protection.

Novavax uses traditional vaccine tech making it more attractive to sceptics. Picture: AFP

“There are some individuals, and even social media groups who have for whatever reason been worried about new technology, even though the foundational technology for these vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna and for other vaccines such as AstraZeneca have been around for some years,” Prof Skerritt said.

Similarly, Mr Hunt said “some people had waited” for Novavax, and “hopefully” the approval of the jab will encourage some of the remaining 5 per cent of the unvaccinated adult population to come forward.

HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT?

Two trials involving more than 45,000 people in the US, Mexico and the UK resulted in efficacy of about 90 per cent with only mild or moderate side effects.

Novavax said its vaccine was most effective against the original Covid strain, as well as the Alpha variant first detected in the UK.

The company has not conducted studies on the Delta strain.

“There is currently limited data on the efficacy of Nuvaxovid against other variants of concern, including Omicron,” the EMA said.

A phase 3 paediatric trial in the US is also testing up to 3000 adolescents aged 12-17 years.

Novavax said it could start making variant-specific doses from January.

CAN IT BE TAKEN AS A BOOSTER SHOT?

The jab will be available to people aged 18 and older for primary vaccination against Covid-19. Further studies into the use of Novavax in children and as boosters are ongoing.

CAN IT CAUSE ADVERSE REACTIONS?

Novavax has said severe reactions are “infrequent and there were no safety concerns related to vaccination”.

The most common adverse reactions observed during clinical studies were headache, nausea or vomiting, myalgia, arthralgia, injection site tenderness/pain, fatigue and malaise.

HOW IS IT STORED?

Novavax’ Covid-19 vaccine is packaged as a ready-to-use liquid formulation in a vial containing 10 doses. The vaccine is stored at 2°- 8° Celsius, meaning the shots can be stored at normal refrigerator temperatures, averting the need for the freezers required for some other Covid-19 vaccines.

IS IT SAFE?

The TGA says the review process of Nuvaxovid was “rigorous”.

It added: “The decision to provisionally approve the vaccine was also informed by expert advice from the Advisory Committee on Vaccines (ACV), an independent committee with expertise in scientific, medical and clinical fields including consumer representation.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison takes a tour of the Scientia Clinical Research Ltd lab in Randwick in November 2020 in Sydney, Australia. Picture: Getty Images

WHAT NEXT?

The government placed an advanced order of 51 million doses of the jab in January 2021, with the option of buying an additional 10 million doses. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) will go through a detailed batch testing process as this will be the first such shipment Australia gets. “Presuming that’s deemed to be safe and in line with all of the data and science that we have received to date, then that fourth vaccine will be made available from the week of February 21,” said Mr Hunt.