NOVAVAX SHOTS 90% EFFECTIVE AGAINST COVID IN LARGE STUDY

WASHINGTON: Vaccine maker Novavax said Monday its Covid-19 shot was highly effective against the disease and also protected against variants in a large study in the US and Mexico, potentially offering the world yet another weapon against the virus at a time when developing countries are desperate for doses.

The two-shot vaccine was about 90% effective overall, and preliminary data showed it was safe, the American biotechnology company said.

The Novavax vaccine, which is easy to store and transport, is expected to play an important role in boosting vaccine supplies in the developing world.

Novavax’s study involved nearly 30,000 people ages 18 and up. Two-thirds received two doses of the vaccine, three weeks apart, and the rest got dummy shots. There were 77 cases of Co vid-19 — 14 in the group that got the vaccine.