Local vaccination drives may now use the Covid-19 vaccine of Novavax, Inc. after it was finally granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday.
FDA Director General Eric Domingo announced they issued the EUA after Novavax passed their screening process.
“It is approved for the active immunization of individuals 18 years and above for the prevention of COVID-19,” Domingo said in an televised interview with PTV.
He noted the Novavax vaccine will be given in two doses at least 3 weeks to 4 weeks apart.
Citing the results of the clinical trial of the vaccine brand, he said Novavax causes mild adverse events and it has an efficacy rate of 89.7 percent.
“We could probably start using this vaccine towards the end of the year or by 2022,” Domingo said.
Currently, the government is utilizing the Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Sinovac Biotech, Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Johnson and Johnson, Bharat Biotech, and Moderna for its nationwide inoculation drive.
As of last Tuesday, the government was able to administer over 54.24 million Covid-19 vaccines.