Novavax COVID-19 vaccine available at Pima County health clinics

Those 18 and older are eligible for the Novavax vaccine, which is approved as a primary series of two doses, three weeks apart, for those who have not yet received any other COVID-19 vaccines. Novavax is not yet authorized as a booster for people who have been vaccinated with doses of Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson.

The Novavax vaccine works differently from those from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. It is a protein subunit vaccine, which the CDC describes as a combination of harmless proteins from the COVID-19 virus with another ingredient called an adjuvant that helps the immune system respond to the virus in the future. Protein subunit vaccines have been used in the United States for more than 30 years, including vaccines for influenza, whooping cough, tetanus, and hepatitis B.

“This is another safe and effective vaccine option that will greatly reduce someone’s chances of serious complications from COVID-19,” said Pima County Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Cullen.