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Updated October 9th, 2021 at 16:47 IST

UK to offer new vaccinations to volunteers of Novavax COVID vaccine trial

The United Kingdom has decided to offer new vaccinations to the thousands of people who volunteered for trials of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine.

Reported by: Anurag Roushan
UK
Image: AP | Image:self
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On Friday, October 8, the United Kingdom decided to offer new vaccinations to the thousands of people who volunteered for trials of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine. The decision has been taken because the Novavax is yet to be approved for use in any country, reported The Associated Press (AP). As part of a clinical trial, almost 15,000 people in the United Kingdom received Novavax shots. While the UK acknowledges them as vaccinated, most other nations don't, which means they are restricted from travelling. 

More than 15,000 people will receive two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, according to the UK's health authorities. The government says it aims to extend the offer to roughly 6,000 people in the United Kingdom who are taking part in vaccine trials. The United Kingdom has urged other members of the Group of 20 to categorise clinical trial volunteers as vaccinated, but the majority are yet to do so. Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, stated that these measures would not have been necessary if more nations across the world had reciprocated by allowing UK volunteers to travel abroad, considering them fully inoculated, reported The AP. 

Novavax claims 90% efficacy

In the month of June, Novavax revealed that its vaccine was 90% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 in a study involving approximately 30,000 persons in the United States and Mexico. Meanwhile, Novavax, based in the United States, has applied to the World Health Organization to get their COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use so that it can be included in the COVAX global vaccine programme. It has, however, postponed seeking authorisation in Europe and the United States. Notably, the Novavax shots are easier to store and carry than some other alternatives, and have long been expected to play a key role in expanding vaccine supplies in low-income nations, reported The AP. 

According to the firm's official website, Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) is a biotechnology company dedicated to improving global health by discovering, developing, and commercialising new vaccines to prevent dangerous infectious illnesses. The company's innovative recombinant technology platform combines the strength and speed of genetic engineering to manufacture highly immunogenic nanoparticles that solve critical global health needs. It should be mentioned here that vaccines for Ebola, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other new infectious illnesses were previously developed by Novavax. The company's headquarter is based in Gaithersburg in the USA.

Image: AP

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Published October 9th, 2021 at 16:46 IST

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