By Paul Weinstein Jr.
COVID-19 vaccination rates in the United States have slowed to a crawl. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) count of fully vaccinated people is averaging around 40,000 per day, down from 241,000 on Dec. 1, 2021. Meanwhile, research from the University of California at San Francisco found that the omicron variant produces a much weaker neutralizing antibody compared to a booster shot (66% less), suggesting reduced immunity from any future variants.
While neither is an issue at the moment given the low infection rate, some believe the U.S. may be in store for another spike due to the BA.2 subvariant of omicron currently on the rise in the United Kingdom.
If vaccines remain the best tool in the fight against COVID-19 but mandates have proven untenable — and hesitancy regarding mRNA vaccines remain stubbornly high despite their strong record of safety — how can we get more Americans to get their shots?
In the short term, offer an alternative to the existing vaccines that is effective and made with an older, proven technology.
In the long-term, restore trust in our nation’s health and science government agencies.
According to a CNBC poll from last fall, 34% of unvaccinated Americans are choosing to remain so because of concern about the existing vaccines and the potential side effects. Another 34% won’t get vaccinated because they do not trust the federal government.
For those looking for a vaccine using a more traditional platform, several are on the way. One vaccine created by Novovax — a Maryland-based pharmaceutical — is available in Europe, Australia and India.
Novovax’s drug is a protein adjuvant vaccine and uses technology similar to that in the flu vaccine. Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines, which use genetic information to alert the immune system, the Novovax vaccine attaches a benign bit of the coronavirus spike protein to an adjuvant, an ingredient made from tree bark, that alerts the immune system.
Novovax submitted their request from the Food and Drug Administration for its Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) request on Jan. 31 of this year. The drug has proven 90% effective in a large study in the U.S. and Mexico. Yet, almost three months later, the FDA has still not scheduled a meeting to consider approval.
The delay is curious, given how quickly the three vaccines currently on the market (Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) were approved for an EUA: all within 23 days.
