Are there any particular benefits or drawbacks of the Novavax vaccine compared to other COVID vaccines?
Are there any particular benefits or drawbacks of the Novavax vaccine compared to other COVID vaccines?
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SciLine reaches out to our network of scientific experts and poses commonly asked questions about newsworthy topics. Reporters can use these responses in news stories, with attribution to the expert.
SciLine reaches out to our network of scientific experts and poses commonly asked questions about newsworthy topics. Reporters can use these responses in news stories, with attribution to the expert.
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Expert Comments:
Lee W. Riley, MD
In addition to vaccine storage benefits, the major advantage of the Novavax vaccine is its safety. Protein-subunit vaccines are considered the safest form of vaccines, based on a widely used technology. The hepatitis B vaccine is an example of a recombinant protein subunit vaccine. If one reason for someone’s hesitation to get a COVID-19 vaccine is safety, then the Novavax vaccine may be a good alternative. The drawback is that it may not be as effective as the mRNA vaccines against the new variants. Developing new versions of protein-based vaccines against the variants will take more time and effort than altering mRNA vaccines.
Maria Elena Bottazzi, PhD
The vaccine induces high levels of virus neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity shown in multiple clinical trials and also has an excellent safety profile.
