Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine

Novavax questions and answers

What is Novavax?
Novavax is a vaccine for COVID-19 that has been manufactured more closely to traditional vaccines than the MRNA vaccines. It is a two-shot series, given 3 weeks apart.

Is the Novavax vaccine manufactured in a similar way to the Johnson and Johnson vaccine?
No, these are two different types of vaccines. Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine and Johnson and Johnson was a viral vector vaccine. Both are common vaccine types, but they work differently.

Who can get the Novavax vaccine?
Novavax is available for anyone ages 12 and up. It is recommended for those who have had an adverse reaction to an MNRA vaccine or do not want to receive the MNRA vaccine.

Who should get the Novavax booster?
The Novavax booster is available for anyone ages 18 and up at least 6 months after they’ve completed their initial vaccination series. It is recommended for those who have had an adverse reaction to the MNRA vaccine or do not want to receive the MNRA vaccine.

The Novavax booster is a monovalent vaccine and the MNRA boosters are bivalent. What does that mean?
The Novavax booster is monovalent, meaning that it’s formulated to protect against one COVID variant. The Pfizer and Moderna boosters are bivalent, meaning they’re formulated to protect against two variants. Bivalent boosters are more effective than the monovalent booster.

More information on Novavax is available on the FDA website.