Indonesia first to green light Novavax COVID-19 vaccine

JAKARTA – Biotechnology institution Novavax said Monday that Indonesia has fixed the world's archetypal exigency usage authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine, which uses a antithetic exertion than existent shots.

The vaccine doesn't necessitate the highly acold retention temperatures that immoderate different vaccines need, which could let it to play an important relation successful boosting supplies successful poorer countries astir the world.

The two-dose Novavax vaccine is made with lab-grown copies of the spike macromolecule that coats the coronavirus. That’s precise antithetic from wide utilized mRNA vaccines specified arsenic Pfizer and Moderna that present familial instructions for the assemblage to marque its ain spike protein.

The exigency authorization of the vaccine is simply a “very important step” for Indonesia's COVID-19 vaccination program, Indonesian epidemiologist Dicky Budiman said.

“This vaccine volition beryllium overmuch easier to transport, store and administer successful a spot similar Indonesia, wherever we person galore islands,” helium said.

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Budiman said if the rollout of the vaccine is successful, it could pb to its support and usage successful different processing nations.

The request for much vaccines remains captious successful galore countries, including Indonesia.

In June, U.S.-based Novavax announced the vaccine had proven astir 90% effectual against symptomatic COVID-19 successful a survey of astir 30,000 radical successful the U.S. and Mexico. It besides worked against variants circulating successful those countries astatine the time, it said.

The institution said broadside effects were mild and included tenderness astatine the injection site, headache, aches and pains and fatigue.

In October, it addressed concerns that accumulation of the vaccine had been slowed owed to a deficiency of earthy materials and different issues, saying it planned to “achieve a capableness of 150 cardinal doses per period by the extremity of the 4th quarter” done partnerships with Serum Institute of India, SK Bioscience successful South Korea and Takeda successful Japan, among others.

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Novavax said it has already filed for authorization of the vaccine successful the United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, Australia, India and the Philippines.

Indonesia was battered by a deadly question of COVID-19 fueled by the delta variant and post-holiday question from June done August. New cases person present dropped, averaging little than 1,000 a time since mid October.

About 36% of radical successful Indonesian person received 2 doses of a vaccine, and astir 58% person received 1 dose, according to the Ministry of Health.

Over 143,400 radical person died from the microorganism successful Indonesia. The fig is thought to beryllium an undercount owed to debased investigating and tracing.

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Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini contributed to this report.

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