On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of a new Novavax vaccine specifically targeted to protect against the latest Omicron circulating strains. Following a bumpy rollout of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, it will bring another option to the table for those who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated amid a rise in COVID cases that started this summer.
The shot, which could be available as early as next week in pharmacies, comes three weeks after Moderna and Pfizer got their vaccines approved. But while the latter uses modern mRNA technology to target the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the Novavax shot uses a protein to target the same thing. It's the same method that has been used for years to protect against other infections like meningococcal disease and pneumonia.
