Few Unvaccinated Adults Are Interested in Novavax's COVID-19 Shots

Asked how Novavax plans to market its vaccine in the United States, a company spokesperson said the “need for additional vaccine options continues” and that the biotech is “engaged in educational efforts aimed at increasing understanding about our science.”

Novavax could find U.S. opening via booster shot campaign

Meanwhile, the Novavax vaccine could be an appealing booster dose for those who have already gotten vaccinated, Hotez said, but only if the biotech can prove that the shot offers strong levels of protection following mRNA vaccination. Last week, Novavax said final clinical trial data is expected in September and that the company is “prepared to supply an Omicron-based vaccine this fall” as part of the U.S. booster campaign.

The fall booster effort may prove challenging, given the ongoing campaign has lagged. Federal data shows that fewer than half of vaccinated adults have gotten a first booster dose.

“There was a terrible mistake made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in calling people with two doses fully vaccinated,” said Hotez, whose lab developed a COVID-19 vaccine that is available in India. “That was never really the case, but they still clung to that outdated concept.”

Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor at George Washington University, said the most eager cohort for Novavax’s shots will likely be those who have kept up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.

“I don’t even think that we will need to spread the message,” Wen said. “There is a group of people who are so eager to get the best protection possible, they are awaiting any news of anything that they can be taking.”

The FDA is reviewing changes to Novavax’s manufacturing process before it authorizes the shot, but even if it gains clearance, it may be some time before the vaccine is widely available. While the company has pledged 110 million doses to the United States and another 1.1 billion for low-income countries, it’s struggled to ramp up production. Novavax’s spokesperson said the company is “working with the U.S. government to finalize our order” and has “millions of doses ready to ship.”

Ultimately, Hotez said Novavax is under pressure to deliver, given it received $1.6 billion in federal funding through the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed vaccine development program. He has said his own team got $400,000 from the U.S. government to develop its shot.

“If it were offered to me, I would take it in a heartbeat,” Hotez said of the Novavax vaccine’s promise as a COVID-19 booster. “Right now, the American people are balking at getting an mRNA booster every few months.”

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