HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Novavax vaccine could be the fourth COVID-19 vaccine to be approved in the U.S. and could roll out as soon as September.
Some Alabama doctors say it’s good to have different varieties of vaccines to protect yourself from COVID.
Novavax reveals the vaccine has overall efficacy of 90% and is 93% effective against the predominant variants of concern and interest.
Close to 30,000 people from the U.S. and Mexico participated in the phase three trial. If approved, health experts say Novavax could be helpful for certain groups of people.
“I think we need more information. Now we have all these vaccines as we specify which age group and which medical conditions these would be suitable, or excluded. Also, we’ll need to know more about all these variants,” says Huntsville Hospital Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Ali Hassoun.
If Novavax is approved by the FDA, we can expect 100 million doses by the end of September and 150 million doses by the end of this year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a plethora of information on how to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus.
The virus can easily spread from person to person, so the CDC recommends you stay at least 6-feet apart from people not in your household. The virus is spread through respiratory droplets that are produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breaths, or talks, according to the CDC. Because of this, the CDC recommends you wear a cloth facemask when around others and in public.
Additionally, the CDC recommends that you frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Symptoms to look out for include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, a sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.
Click here to find more COVID-19 information from the CDC.
If you suspect you have the coronavirus, you should seek out testing and self-quarantine.
Click here to find more COVID-19 information from the Alabama Department of Public Health.