Health Canada gives its OK to Novavax’s COVID vaccine

Health Canada has approved a fifth COVID-19 vaccine for use in the country.

Novavax’s Nuvaxovid vaccine joins those from AstraZeneca, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Moderna and Pfizer on the list of approved COVID vaccines in Canada.

But Novavax’s offering is protein-based, making it the first of its kind to get approval in this country.

Experts say a non-mRNA vaccine could win over some vaccine-hesitant people who have still not received a dose of a COVID vaccine.

According to Health Canada, patients who get the Novavax vaccine should get two doses 21 days apart. It’s currently only approved for people 18 and over.

“Based on the clinical trials overall, Nuvaxovid is 90 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 100 per cent effective at preventing severe disease,” Health Canada said in a statement on its website.

It’s currently not known if doses of the vaccine will be distributed for use in Saskatchewan.

Novavax applied to have its vaccine approved by Health Canada in January of last year.

The shots already have been cleared for use in other countries, including Britain, Europe, Australia and Singapore.

Ottawa also signed a deal with Novavax last year to produce its vaccine in Canada and a manufacturing plant was constructed in Montreal.

— With files from The Canadian Press