WHO recommends 3rd dose of Novavax for those who are immunocompromised
Novavax said on Tuesday the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) panel of experts had recommended a third dose of its vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, for immunocompromised persons. After reviewing Novavax data the independent experts said the vaccine could be used in pregnant women if the benefits of vaccination to the pregnant woman outweigh the potential risks.
The jab uses a traditional technology involving proteins found on coronavirus spike proteins that trigger an immune response. It is a tried and tested approach, used for decades to vaccinate people against diseases including hepatitis B and whooping cough.
It is not clear yet how Novavax performs against the Omicron variant, or whether a booster dose will be needed. Some early data has suggested that many two-dose vaccines do not work well against the variant, while a third shot improves their efficacy.
