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"Inactivated vaccine" from Novavax: Crisis staff general announces it for Germany - who should get it

2022-01-14T04:23:21.114Z


"Inactivated vaccine" from Novavax: Crisis staff general announces it for Germany - who should get it Created: 01/14/2022, 05:15 From: Hannes Niemeyer The Novavax vaccine is another hope in the fight against the corona pandemic. But who should be vaccinated with it and what are the side effects? An overview. Berlin – The vaccine from Novavax is considered a small glimmer of hope for vaccine sk


"Inactivated vaccine" from Novavax: Crisis staff general announces it for Germany - who should get it

Created: 01/14/2022, 05:15

From: Hannes Niemeyer

The Novavax vaccine is another hope in the fight against the corona pandemic.

But who should be vaccinated with it and what are the side effects?

An overview.

Berlin – The vaccine from Novavax is considered a small glimmer of hope for vaccine skeptics in the corona pandemic *.

The vaccine called Nuvaxovid (NVX-CoV2373) has also been approved in the EU since December 20.

The European Union has also already signed a purchase agreement for 100 million cans for 2022 - with an option to double the amount.

The vaccine is considered an alternative to the most commonly used vaccines from Biontech*, Moderna*, Astrazeneca* and Johnson & Johnson*.

The vaccine raises hope, especially for people who are skeptical about vaccinations against Covid-19, as it is wrongly considered a so-called “dead vaccine”.

According to Welt.de

, Major General Carsten Breuer, who heads the federal government’s Corona crisis team, has now

even announced that the first delivery of Nuvaxovid could take place as early as the end of January.

Top immunologists and the Stiko have already commented*.

Corona vaccine from Novavax: not a dead vaccine - but a protein-based vaccine

The Novavax vaccine is often incorrectly declared as an inactivated vaccine.

However, the vaccine is a protein-based vaccine - that's what it says on the company's official website

(see info box below for explanation)

.

The method has long been used for vaccinations against hepatitis B or whooping cough.

In addition, the vaccine does not belong to either the group of vector vaccines or the group of mRNA vaccines.

You can read what experts say about him here*.

Nuvaxovid from Novavax: The newly approved vaccine works so well - also against omicron

The vaccine is seen as a glimmer of hope that could even boost the first vaccination rate in Germany. Because the effect of the vaccine should be quite good. The Phase III study, conducted in the US and Mexico, showed 90 percent efficacy. However, the value applies to the prototype variant of the virus. As far as the omicron variant is concerned, the data situation does not yet seem to be fully clarified. However, the company itself published the first data on the cross-reactivity of its vaccine against the Omicron variant at the end of December 2021.

"New results demonstrate broad cross-reactivity against Omicron and other circulating variants from a primary 2-dose regimen, with responses increasing after a third dose at six months," the company said in a December 23, 2021 release : The vaccine provides an effective immune response against the omicron variant, which is further enhanced by a booster dose.

Nevertheless, the company announced that it would be working on the development of an omicron vaccine “in view of the continuous further development of the corona virus”.

Novavax protein-based vaccine: how it works

Nuvaxovid (NVX-CoV2373) is a protein-based vaccine that contains an antigen of the coronavirus.

This can neither multiply nor cause Covid-19.

The virus protein is produced by genetic engineering.

After vaccination, the immune system forms antibodies against the protein, which can fight off Covid-19 disease.

However, since the virus components that are killed, so to speak, are produced by genetic engineering and are not obtained from the corona virus, the vaccine is not one of the dead vaccines (see info box above).

Novavax vaccine: who should get it and what the booster effect is like

In the basic application, there are hardly any differences to the vaccines that have been used up to now. According to current information, Nuvaxovid also requires two doses of vaccine three weeks apart for primary immunization. According to the current state of knowledge, the vaccine is also suitable for booster vaccinations*. The vaccine is approved for everyone over the age of 18.

A

study published in the journal

The Lancet also brought good news in this regard.

According to the Novavax vaccine is extremely well suited as a booster vaccine - no matter which vaccine you have previously received.

The effect is only marginally less than that of known mRNA vaccines such as those from Moderna or Biontech and surpasses the booster effect of vector vaccines.

Novavax could therefore offer a real alternative, especially for people who have had to contend with severe side effects from common mRNA vaccines.

Biotechnology company and beacon of hope for vaccine skeptics: This is the vaccine manufacturer Novavax

Headquarters

Gaithersburg, Maryland (USA)

Founded

1987

management

Stanley C Erck (CEO)

sales volume

$476 million (as of December 31, 2020)

industry

biotechnology and pharmacy

Specialized in

manufacture of vaccines

Novavax vaccine Nuvaxovid: What side effects are to be expected - and what is still unclear

Of course, Nuvaxovid is not free of side effects either.

Nevertheless, the vaccine is attested to be well tolerated in current studies.

As early as the summer of 2021, it was reported that mainly “mild” and “temporary” reactions had occurred, which had subsided after a few days.

This would include symptoms such as headache, nausea or vomiting, muscle and joint pain, tenderness, pain at the injection site, tiredness and general malaise.

According to the approval study for the vaccine, the physical complaints such as headaches and malaise occurred in around 70 percent of the test subjects. Around 79 percent of the test persons had reactions at the puncture site such as redness, pain or swelling. According to studies published to date, there were no indications of particularly serious complications. By the way: According to studies, no harmful effects of the vaccine were found in people during pregnancy. A breastfeeding risk is also not to be expected, reported Novavax. However, it must also be mentioned that so far there is only a limited database on this point.

However, there is still a dark spot in the vaccine portfolio.

Because initially it was not known how long the protection after the vaccination actually lasts.

In the first few months after administration, the vaccination protection is definitely stable.

Nevertheless, it remains within the realm of possibility that the vaccination protection will decrease over time - as is the case with other approved vaccines.

People vaccinated as part of the clinical study will be observed by the company for a further two years in order to gain more detailed information about the duration of the protective effect.

(han) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-01-14

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