A Phase III trial carried out in the UK showed that the Novavax vaccine was effective at preventing 89.3% of infections, even as half of the cases were of the new British variant. The South African variant, however, is proving a different problem.
The Novavax vaccine has been running trials in Britain, South Africa, the United States and Mexico. The trial in Britain, involving over 15,000 people, was found to be 89.3% effective at preventing COVID-19. Researchers calculated its efficacy against the new British variant at 86%, while its efficacy against the original COVID-19 strain was calculated to be 95.6%.
The data is based on 62 confirmed cases, of which 56 were in the placebo group, and just 6 in the group that received the vaccine. Out of these, just 1 case was severe, in the placebo group. The results are particularly encouraging as they also consider the new British variant, which is currently believed to be much more infectious than the original strain.
2021-01 - Novavax Covid-19 vaccine the first to demonstrate clinical efficacy against South African variant wits.ac.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wits.ac.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The efficacy results of the vaccine come from a trial in UK and South Africa, where two more transmissible strains are more prevalent, indicating that the vaccine provides protection against them.