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Alex Peebles

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Novavax: Large study finds COVID-19 vaccine about 90% effective

Jun 14, 2021

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(AP) Vaccine maker Novavax said Monday, its shot was highly effective against COVID-19 and also protected against variants in a large, late-stage study in the U.S. and Mexico.

The vaccine was about 90% effective overall and preliminary data showed it was safe, the company said.

While demand for COVID-19 shots in the U.S. has dropped off dramatically, the need for more vaccines around the world remains critical. The Novavax vaccine, which is easy to store and transport, is expected to play an important role in boosting vaccine supplies in the developing world.

That help is still months away, however. The company said it plans to seek authorization for the shots in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere by the end of September and be able to produce up to 100 million doses a month by then.

“Many of our first doses will go to … low- and middle-income countries, and that was the goal to begin with,” Novavax Chief Executive Stanley Erck told the Associated Press.

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Gwen Baumgardner: WE WOKE UP TO BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING — NOVA-VAX SAYS IT’S VACCINE IS 90 PERCENT EFFECTIVE.
THE BIO-TECH COMPANY RELEASED THE RESULTS THIS MORNING OF THEIR LATEST STUDY.
ONE INVOLVING MORE THAN 30-THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE U-S AND MEXICO.
NOVA- VAX PLANS TO APPLY FOR EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION FROM THE FDA IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
BUT IT’S NOT AS IF AMERICANS ARE RACING FOR VACCINES.
THE DEMAND FOR SHOTS IN THE US HAS DROPPED OFF DRAMATICALLY — LEAVING MANY PLACES WITH A SURPLUS OF DOSES.
THE C-D-C SAYS SOME 64 PERCENT OF U.S. ADULTS HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE DOSE — WHILE 54 PERCENT ARE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED.
PERHAPS WHAT MAKES THE NEW VACCINE SO NEWS WORTHY IS IT’S IMPACT ON WORLD HEALTH.
STANLEY ERCK: “We need more vaccines. Just a fraction of the world’s population has been vaccinated. We need vaccines to go globally, particularly in low and middle income countries. And our vaccine is uniquely suited for that because it is stable with normal refrigerator temperatures and that will help.”
Gwen Baumgardner: THE OTHER REASON, NOVA-VAX STUDY IS SUCH A BIG DEAL — IT’S VERY EFFECTIVE AGAINST VARIANTS.
RIGHT NOW — WITH THE NEW DELTA VARIANT SPREADING AROUND THE WORLD.
OVER THE WEEKEND — PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON EVEN HINTED AT DELAYING THE COUNTRY’S PLANNED REOPENING NEXT WEEK.
BORIS JOHNSON: “It’s clear that the Indian variant is more transmissible and it’s also true that the cases are going up and that the, the levels of hospitalization are going up. Now, we don’t know exactly to what extent that is going to feed through into extra mortality. But clearly it’s a matter of serious, serious concern.”