Novavax COVID-19 vaccine authorized for ages 12 – 17
POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - The FDA is now authorizing the two dose Novavax Vaccine for ages 12 – 17. Novavax is a protein-based, two-dose series that uses a more traditional vaccination methods that have been used for decades and was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19.
“Having more vaccine options for adults and children will hopefully help increase vaccination rates, particularly as we prepare for ongoing cases of Covid-19 with the start of fall and the back-to-school season,” Southeastern Idaho Public Health Director Maggie Mann said.
The Novavax shot is based on more conventional protein technology used for decades in hepatitis B and HPV vaccines, while Pfizer and Moderna are the first FDA-approved vaccines to use mRNA. Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines use mRNA, a molecule encoded with genetic instructions, to tell human cells to produce copies of a virus particle called the spike protein. The immune system responds to these copies of the spike, which prepares the human body to attack the actual virus.
Novavax makes copies of the virus spike outside human cells. The genetic code for the spike is put into an insect virus that infects moth cells, which produce copies that are then purified and extracted during the manufacturing process. The finished spike copies are injected into the human body, inducing an immune response against COVID-19.
“I strongly encourage people to get whichever vaccine they can,” Mann said. “Each person vaccinated helps the whole population be more protected.”
To schedule a vaccine appointment, call your local Southeastern Idaho Public Health office. For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, visit www.siphidaho.org.
