ASOURCE Navi

The new corona virus vaccine developed by Novavax has started. It is called "recombinant protein vaccine" and is the fourth vaccine in Japan. It seems that there are less side effects than other corona vaccines, and it looks like it will be a new option.

The Novavax vaccine is intended for people over the age of 18. The second dose is given 3 weeks after the first dose, and the third dose is given after 6 months. Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines so far are called "mRNA vaccines", and by inserting genes, the body produces the substances necessary to make antibodies. On the other hand, Novavax's vaccine is called a "recombinant protein vaccine", and it is a mechanism that puts the substances necessary for antibody production into the body itself.

Regarding the efficacy of the Novavax vaccine, a clinical trial conducted in the United States and Mexico from December 2020 to February 2021 on approximately 30,000 people showed that the disease prevention effect after two doses was 90.4%, moderate. The effect of preventing degree and severity was 100%. Other corona vaccine trials have a preventive effect of 95% from Pfizer, 94.1% from Moderna, and 62.1-70.4% from AstraZeneca. At the time of clinical trials, the epidemic strains were alpha and beta strains, so it is thought that the effect on Omicron strains will be reduced.

As for side effects, in clinical trials conducted in the United States and Mexico, 5.7% of people with Novavax had fever after the second dose, 44.5% had headache, 49.5% had fatigue, 22.2% had joint pain, and 59.7% had pain at the injection site. % etc. In the Pfizer clinical trial, fever 13.6%, headache 46.1%, fatigue 55.5%, arthralgia 20.5%, injection site pain 72.6%, etc. In the Moderna trial, fever 15.5%, headache 58.6%, fatigue 65.3%, arthralgia 42.8%, injection site pain 88.2%, etc. Novavax tended to occur less frequently than Pfizer and Moderna.

In an alternating immunization trial in the United Kingdom, people who received a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine were given a booster dose of the Novavax vaccine (full dose) compared with those who received the meningococcal vaccine. , the antibody increased 4.78 times on the 28th day of booster vaccination. Neutralizing antibodies to the Delta strain also rose 4.94-fold. As side reaction of alternating inoculation, side reaction was seen in 44 of 114 people, but there was not serious thing.

For those who have postponed vaccination due to concerns about side effects, Novavax may provide a new motivation for vaccination.