A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted unanimously to endorse Novavax's Covid-19 vaccine, which will bring the shot one step closer to becoming the fourth FDA-approved coronaviruses shot for adults.
The researchers are working on samples from the trials.
The vaccine was recommended for approval by the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.
The FDA doesn't have to follow the committee's recommendation.
The vaccine must be endorsed by the CDC before it can be widely available.
Peter Marks, an FDA official, suggested to the advisory panel that Novavax's shot could be an option for people who are hesitant to get vaccine.
The two-dose primary vaccine was found to be effective at preventing mild, moderate or severe Covid infections. In July 2020, the company received $1.6 billion in funding from the Trump Administration, but faced a number of manufacturing hurdles. Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia and the United Kingdom have authorized the vaccine. In the last few months, Americans have thrown out more than 80 million doses of vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA Advisory meeting came days after the agency warned of a possible risk of two types of heart inflammation. After receiving Pfizer and Moderna's Covid vaccines, there have been cases of heart inflammation. In a statement on Friday, Novavax said there wasn't enough evidence to show a correlation between its vaccine and heart inflammation.
The vaccine cleared a key step on the way to FDA authorization after the committee endorsed it.
The company's stock was halted pending the FDA panel meeting.
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