Coronavirus: Novavax says study in US, Mexico finds its vaccine about 90 per cent effective

The study, which involved nearly 30,000 people in the US and Mexico, showed the shot was highly effective against Covid-19 and also protected against variants, the firm said

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

Reading Time:3 minutes

The Novavax vaccine can be stored in standard refrigerators, making it easier to distribute. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:06pm, 14 Jun 2021

Vaccine maker Novavax on Monday said its shot was highly effective against Covid-19 and also protected against variants in a large, late-stage study in the US and Mexico.

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

While demand for Covid-19 shots in the US 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 says it plans to seek authorisation for the shots in the US, 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 said.

While more than half of the US population has had at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, less than 1 per cent of people in the developing world have had one shot, according to Our World In Data.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x