Health officials hope Novavax will appeal to the 2.5 million adult Angelenos who still haven't been vaccinated against the coronavirus.
A more traditional kind of COVID-19 vaccine will be available starting Wednesday at Los Angeles County vaccine sites. Health officials hope Novavax will appeal to the 1.5 million adult Angelenos who still haven't been vaccinated against the coronavirus.
The mRNA vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer stimulate the immune system by injecting snippets of genetic code for a key protein from the virus into the body. Although they are very safe and highly effective, some people have been reluctant to get them because of misinformation about their safety. In contrast, the Novavax vaccine injects copies of the spike protein that are grown in a lab and resemble a virus to the immune system, prompting an immune response. It’s the same technology used to make shingles and hepatitis B shots.