Covid-19 vaccine Novavax approved for those aged 18 and above

SINGAPORE - The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax has been approved for individuals aged 18 and above, said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Monday (Feb 14).

HSA had granted interim authorisation for Nuvaxovid vaccine on Feb 3, 2022 under the Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR).

The vaccination regimen comprises two five-microgram doses of Nuvaxovid to be administered 3 weeks apart.

The first batch of Nuvaxovid is expected to arrive in Singapore in the next few months.

HSA said that it has reviewed that the vaccine meets the quality, safety and efficacy standards, and that the benefits outweigh the risks for the Singapore population.

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Two groups of experts from HSA's Medicines Advisory Committee and Panel of Infectious Diseases Experts were also consulted and agreed with HSA's recommendation for PSAR authorisation.

The Novavax vaccine is a protein-based, or protein-subunit, vaccine, unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines which are mRNA vaccines.

mRNA vaccines use material from the virus to teach the body's cells to make copies of a protein unique to the virus, and in this manner build up resistance to it.

On the other hand, protein-based vaccines include pieces of the virus, but not the entire germ. When a person is vaccinated with them, their body realises that the protein should not be there and creates antibodies to fight it.

The Novavax vaccine teaches the body's immune system to create antibodies that fight the coronavirus' spike protein, which it uses to enter human cells.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.