Novavax vaccine approved: – Norway has ordered 500,000 doses

On Monday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gives the green light to the corona vaccine from the American drug manufacturer Novavax for people over 18 years of age.

The temporary approval also allows for the use of the vaccine in Norway.

Dagbladet is informed by State Secretary Ole Henrik Krat Bjørkholt (Labor Party) in The Ministry of Health and Care Services that Norway has ordered more than 500,000 doses.

It is up to the National Institute of Public Health to decide whether it should be used in the vaccination program.

– We do not yet know what role the vaccine from Novavax will have in the coronary vaccination program and which groups it may be relevant for. It will be considered in more detail when we know how many doses we will have access to and when the vaccine will be available in Norway, says FHI chief physician Sara Watle to Dagbladet.

– Good numbers

The Novavax vaccine is given in two doses, at least 21 days apart.

The company’s clinical trials, which has included a total of over 45,000 people, has shown an effect of around 90 percent against symptomatic covid-19 infection seven days after vaccination with the second dose.

The reported side effects are considered by the EMA to be mild or moderate, and should have passed within a few days.

The studies were performed during a period when the original coronavirus, in addition to the alpha and beta variants, was circulating.

– These are basically good numbers. Slightly below the mRNA vaccines, but above other vaccines. It will be very important to get data on whether it also protects against omicron, says medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency, Steinar Madsen, to Dagbladet.

There is currently little data on the vaccine’s effect against newer virus variants, including omicron. The company announced in late November that they are in the process of developing a new vaccine against the omicron variant.