WASHINGTON, July 20 (KUNA) -- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chief Dr. Rochelle Walensky endorsed Tuesday evening the recommendation that Novavax's protein based COVID-19 vaccine be used as "another primary series option for adults ages 18 years and older." "If you have been waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine built on a different technology than those previously available, now is the time to join the millions of Americans who have been vaccinated," Dr. Walensky said in a statement.
She stressed that "with COVID-19 cases on the rise again across parts of the country, vaccination is critical to help protect against the complications of severe COVID-19 disease." For his part, President Joe Biden said in a separate statement that "today is another step forward in our nation's fight against the virus.
He added "we now have four safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available to protect Americans against serious illness, hospitalizations and death." "The science and data are clear: vaccines continue to protect people from serious illness, hospitalizations, and death-and with BA.5 increasing infections, it is essential that people get themselves and their kids vaccinated and stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations," he stressed.
"Over the past 18 months, my Administration has left no stone unturned to ensure Americans have easy and convenient access to lifesaving tools, including vaccines, treatments, tests and more. These tools work even in the face of BA.5- they protect people, keep people out of the hospital, and save lives," he continued.
"While we know COVID-19 isn't over, we can manage this moment and continue to minimize COVID-19's impact on our daily lives," Biden remarked.
According to the CDC, Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine will be available in the coming weeks and is "an important tool in the pandemic and provides a more familiar type of COVID-19 vaccine technology for adults." It noted that "protein subunit vaccines package harmless proteins of the COVID-19 virus alongside another ingredient called an adjuvant that helps the immune system respond to the virus in the future." (end) si.mt