Novavax’s two-shot vaccine has been given emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults exclusively. It has been approved only for people who are still unvaccinated.

In contrast to the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, the Novavax vaccine is protein-based. It includes harmless coronavirus spike protein components and the Matrix-M adjuvant, a substance that boosts a patient′s immune response.

According to findings from clinical trials, the vaccination is 90.4 % effective in preventing mild, moderate, or severe cases of COVID-19. After receiving both doses, only 17 patients out of 17,200 developed COVID-19.

However, the FDA stated that there was evidence of an elevated risk for myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, and pericarditis, an inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart, following Novavax′s vaccine. Both these conditions typically manifested in patients within 10 days or less after receiving the dose. (Medscape - Jul 13, 2022.)