Novavax Talking Points

Novavax Talking Points
• A new COVID-19 vaccine called Novavax has been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have provided recommendations for who can receive this vaccine.
• Novavax can be given to people who are age 18 years and older and have not received other COVID-19 vaccines.
• People should get two doses of the vaccine given 3-8 weeks apart.
• People who get the Novavax vaccine for their primary vaccine series are currently not recommended to get a booster shot, but one may be recommended in the future.
• At this time, Novavax cannot be used as a booster shot for people who received other COVID-19 vaccines.
• The federal government has ordered over 3 million doses of the Novavax vaccine. It will be shipped to states in the coming days/weeks, so it may take a little time before it’s available at a vaccine location near you.
• If you are interested in getting the Novavax vaccine, contact your local health care provider or pharmacy in the coming weeks to see if they have it available. Vaccine providers listed on the Find My Vaccine Map will be able to update their information as to which vaccines they have available, so you will also be able to search for locations there soon.
• Novavax is a protein vaccine – this is different from how the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are made. This vaccine uses copies of the spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus (the virus that causes COVID-19) to teach your immune system how to recognize the virus and prepare to fight it. The vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19.
o Protein vaccines have been used for more than 30 years in the United States, beginning with the first licensed hepatitis B vaccine. Other protein subunit vaccines used in the United States today include those to protect against influenza and whooping cough (pertussis).
• Available COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and help provide protection against COVID-19, especially severe disease.
• Getting the COVID-19 vaccine available to you and staying up to date on all recommended doses is the best thing you can do. If you have been waiting to get vaccinated, this is a good time to talk to your health care provider or find a vaccine location near you.