New York, Dec 17 : Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine is 90 per cent effective at preventing Covid-19 illness, according to results from a Phase 3 clinical trial.
In addition to being highly effective in preventing Covid illness of any severity, the vaccine was 100 per cent effective in preventing moderate and severe disease that required hospitalisation, revealed the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
For the trial, the team from University of Maryland included nearly 30,000 adult volunteers at 113 clinical sites in the US and six sites in Mexico.
Approximately 20,000 participants received two doses of the vaccine spaced three weeks apart and 10,000 received placebos.
The trial was conducted during the first few months of 2021, and tested only against Alpha variant, which was the predominant circulating strain.Most side effects were mild to moderate and transient.Fever was very rare.The most common side effects in the vaccine recipients included pain and tenderness at the injection site, headache, muscle aches and fatigue that lasted a day on average.None of the recipients developed serious reactions like heart inflammation (myocarditis) or blood clots.”Our study results indicate that this vaccine is highly efficacious and very safe.In addition, this vaccine has many attractive features,” said Karen Kotloff, Professor of Paediatrics at the varsity’s School of Medicine.
“It is made from a small piece of protein, like many currently licensed vaccines in the US and has convenient refrigerator storage requirements, so it will be an important addition to the Covid-19 vaccine portfolio, in the US and in countries where supply is lacking,” Kotloff added.
Novavax is also a partner of Pune-based Serum Institute of India.The vaccine NVX-CoV2373 is already being locally manufactured by the company under the brand name Covovax – its vaccine for children aged above 3 years.
It will be launched in the next six months, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla has said.Covavax is currently under trial and has shown excellent results down to the age of 3 years, Poonawalla said.rvt/vd
Novavax vax 90% effective at preventing Covid infections
Around 20,000 people received the vaccine in two separate doses, each three weeks apart.10,000 were given placebos.This trial was done in the early months of 2021 and was limited to the Alpha variant strain. Side effects are usually mild-to-moderate and temporary.Fever is very uncommon.Most common side effects for vaccine recipients were pain at the injection site and muscle aches, fatigue, and headaches that last an average of a day.No one suffered from severe reactions such as heart inflammation or blood clots.
Our study findings show that the vaccine is very safe and highly effective.
Karen Kotloff is Professor of Pediatrics at the School of Medicine.
Kotloff said that the vaccine is made of a tiny amount of protein and is therefore similar to many other licensed vaccines in America.
It can also be stored in the refrigerator, which Kotloff noted.
Novavax, a Pune-based Serum Institute of India partner, is also Novavax.
Under the name Covovax, the vaccine NVXCoV2373 has been locally manufactured.This vaccine is for children over 3 years.Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII, has stated that the vaccine will launch in six months.
Covavax, which is under investigation at the moment, has already shown outstanding results as far back as 3 years old.
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