The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has given the green light to recommend the commercialization of the Novavax vaccine , the fifth against the coronavirus (Covid-19) that receives authorization in the European market. It is the first protein-based coronavirus vaccine , until now they were messenger RNA (Pfizer and Moderna) or adenovirus (AstraZeneca and Janssen). This comes at the beginning of the sixth wave, when solutions are, and are sought, increasingly necessary. But, what are the characteristics of this new antidote
Does it bring updates with respect to the others
The NVX-CoV2373 recombinant nanoparticle vaccine, with the trade name Nuvaxovid, whose continuous evaluation process began last November, will be available in the first quarter of the year for European countries. This new vaccine comes just one year after the first approved vaccine, Pfizer’s.What remains to be known, and more importantly, is whether these new generations will also stop the transmission of the virus.
How does it work
The vaccine contains tiny particles made from a version of a protein found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 (the spike (S) protein), which has been produced in the laboratory. It also contains an “adjuvant,” a substance that helps strengthen immune responses to the vaccine.
Proteins is a mechanism that is used in others such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B and the flu. If the messenger RNAs ‘order’ the body’s cells to produce a protein, or a specific portion of a protein, capable of triggering an immune response.
When a person receives the vaccine, their immune system will identify the protein particles as foreign and will produce natural defenses (antibodies and T cells) against them. After being in contact with them and generating immunity, the cellular memory will recognize the spike protein of the virus and will be ready to attack it.
Efficacy
The data presented by the pharmacist show a 96.4%of effectiveness of the vaccine against the original strain of the virus, 86.3% against the alpha variant and 89.7% of general efficacy.It also seems like a good candidate against the South African variant , although its effectiveness was reduced to 55.4% .
Likewise, it showed a 100% protection of the vaccine against moderate and severe disease.
Administration and side effectsTwo 0.5 ml doses
(5 micrograms of antigen and 50 micrograms of Matrix-M adjuvant)
are required for the vaccine to be effective and must be administered 21 days apart.
According to the EMA, side effects
observed with Nuvaxovid in the studies were “generally mild or moderate and disappeared within a couple of days after vaccination”. The most common were tenderness or pain at the injection site, tiredness, muscle pain, headache, general ill feeling, joint pain, and nausea or vomiting.
