Novavax vaccine 89.3% effective against Covid, UK trials show

It also appears to offer strong protection against the UK and South Africa strains

UK phase three trials of the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine have found it demonstrated 89.3 per cent efficacy against the virus.

The new UK variant was detected in more than half of the Covid-19 cases recorded in the trials.

The vaccine candidate was found to be 95.6 per cent effective against the original strain and 85.6 per cent effective against the variant.

It also appears to offer strong protection against the South Africa strain.

The biotechnology firm’s president said the vaccine is the first to demonstrate “significant” efficacy against new, emerging variants.

Meanwhile, Public Health England have defended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after German experts recommended it should only be offered to under 65s.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and health experts spoke in support of the jab after Germany said there was “insufficient data” to recommend it for those aged 65 and over.

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Britain has ordered 60 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, although it will require approval from regulators.

Mr Johnson thanked the volunteers involved in the study as he hailed the success of the trials.

“Good news that the @Novavax vaccine has proved effective in UK trials,” he tweeted on Thursday evening.

“Our medicines regulator will now assess the vaccine, which will be made in Teesside.

“If approved, we have 60m doses on order.”

Its vaccines, named NVX-CoV2373, contain a Covid protein that prompts a response from the immune system.

Such vaccines have a longer track record than some of the newer approaches used by competing vaccines, such as those based on viral genes or so-called adenoviruses.

Stanley Erck, the Novavax biotechnology firm’s president and chief executive, said the vaccine is the first to demonstrate “significant” clinical efficacy against emerging variants.

The trial was carried out in conjunction with the UK Government’s Vaccine Taskforce.

Its chairman Clive Dix saying in a statement: “These are spectacular results, and we are very pleased to have helped Novavax with the development of this vaccine.

“The efficacy shown against the emerging variants is also extremely encouraging. This is an incredible achievement that will ensure we can protect individuals in the UK and the rest of the world from this virus.”

Government data up to January 27 shows of the 7,923,497 vaccine jabs given in the UK so far, 7,447,199 were first doses.

This a rise of 282,812 on the previous day’s figures.

Some 476,298 were second doses, an increase of 2,142 on figures released the previous day.

The seven-day rolling average of first doses given in the UK is now 353,422.

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