We are in the midst of the fall season. This means that as the weather gets cooler and more people gather indoors, we expect respiratory viruses like influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 to continue to spread.
Fortunately, there are vaccines in stock to prevent respiratory viruses from becoming serious illnesses. In addition to the general flu vaccine and the RSV vaccine for older adults and pregnant women, new coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax will be available this season to reduce the risk of hospitalization.
This means adults can choose which coronavirus vaccine they receive. An mRNA vaccine from Moderna or Pfizer, or Novavax, a protein-based vaccine that targets the virus in a more “traditional” way. All three are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been widely used in recent years, but the Novavax vaccine is slowly gaining support.
Novavax, a protein-based vaccine, is an option for people who don’t want or can’t get an mRNA vaccine. Novavax may also be attractive to those who want to experiment with a “combination” approach to coronavirus boosters as a way to potentially boost immune responses.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center, said, “Although mRNA vaccines dominate the market for coronavirus vaccines, there are several different types available for various pathogens. It remains important to have different technologies because each has specific use cases.” For health security, he said in an email.
Here’s everything we know about Novavax this year. Also read about the home flu vaccines that will be available next year and how you can order more free coronavirus tests online.
How is Novavax different from Pfizer and Moderna?
Novavax is a protein-based vaccine, and people associate it with the “traditional” approach to vaccination. This is compared to mRNA technology, which does not use dead or weakened viruses as components of the vaccine, but instead uses genetic code to instruct the recipient’s immune system to respond.
However, Adalja said calling Novavax traditional may be a “misnomer” because it brings unique innovations. Adalja explained that Novavax uses an insect virus that has been genetically engineered to express the spike protein, which is then incorporated into the vaccine.
“The vaccines themselves are combined with immune system boosters called adjuvants that increase immunity,” he said, referring to ingredients that are also incorporated into existing vaccines.
There are also some differences this year between Novavax and the latest vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Both mRNA vaccines are tailored to target the KP.2 strain of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The KP.2 strain is a slightly newer version of the virus that Novavax targets (KP.2’s “parent” JN.1). The FDA ultimately decided it preferred KP.2 for the vaccine, but they are all expected to help prevent severe illness and death.
However, this season’s coronavirus vaccines will not be covered for free by the U.S. government. Most people are expected to continue paying premiums, but adults without private or public health insurance will be responsible for paying. The Bridge Access Program was scheduled to provide free coronavirus vaccines to people without health insurance throughout this year, but ended in early August due to a lack of funding.
According to GoodRx, which offers coupons for Novavax, the protein-based vaccine retails for about $191.
Who should receive Novavax? Does Novavax have different side effects?
Novavax is approved by the FDA for use in adults and children 12 years and older, so younger children cannot receive this vaccine. But for most adults, which coronavirus vaccine to choose will depend on their preferences and the availability of their local pharmacy.
However, people may choose Novavax for a variety of reasons. For people who don’t want to get an mRNA vaccine, the availability of protein-based vaccines like Novavax means they can still get vaccinated in the fall and winter.
Others may be interested in Novavax for its use in a “mix-and-match” approach to boosting, which has been associated with strong immune responses in the past.
There is some early research suggesting that Novavax may have fewer short-term side effects, such as muscle fatigue and nausea, but “we can’t say for sure,” says Joshua, a pharmacist and pharmacy editor at GoodRx.・Mr. Murdoch said. Email.
“This is unproven, and side effects vary from person to person,” Murdoch says. He added that the CDC does not recommend one vaccine over the other, even for people who are immunocompromised.
In general, mRNA vaccines have been found to be much more “responsive” than other vaccines, Adalja said, noting that it also depends on the individual. But if someone had a bad experience with an mRNA vaccine, “there’s a chance they’ll get better with the Novavax vaccine,” Adalja said.
Regardless of which option you choose, you may expect some flu-like side effects after receiving the vaccine. This includes symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, arm pain, and even chills. Not having symptoms doesn’t mean your immune system isn’t working, but experiencing side effects can mean your immune system is responding to the shock, so to speak.
In rare cases, myocarditis or heart inflammation problems have been reported to be associated with COVID-19 vaccination, especially in young men and adolescents within two weeks of vaccination. However, previous studies have shown that Novavax, like mRNA vaccines, can also cause this rare side effect.
Following high levels of coronavirus infections in the U.S. this summer, all vaccines and their newly targeted formulations are being tested against the virus, which is expected to continue spreading through the fall and winter. More information will be needed to confirm the effectiveness of this approach.
“Although there is no strong evidence that one vaccine is preferable to another for any particular person, this will be an important tool for research to better guide vaccine recommendations,” Adalja said. said.
How to find the Novavax vaccine
Novavax announced on September 13 that its vaccine will be available at the following pharmacies:
Novavax’s website also has a vaccine search function. To get started, enter your zip code in the small search box and it will show you which pharmacies near you have the vaccine in stock.
