Researchers at the UW Medicine Retrovirology Lab at Harborview Medical Center work on samples from the Novavax phase 3 Covid-19 clinical vaccine trials on February 12, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images) GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Americans may soon get a new COVID-19 vaccine option -- shots made with a more tried-and-true technology than today’s versions.
The big question: Why should they care?After long delays, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide within weeks whether to authorize Novavax's vaccine.
It’s late in the pandemic for a new choice, with about three-quarters of U.S. adults already vaccinated.But the company is hoping to find a niche among some of the unvaccinated millions who might agree to a more traditional kind of shot -- a protein vaccine — and also to become a top choice for boosters, regardless of which type people got first.
Only about half of vaccinated adults have gotten a booster.The Novavax vaccine already is used in parts of Europe and multiple other countries, but FDA clearance is a key hurdle.