Public Health

Covid vaccine could soon be released in several countries

The Novavax coronavirus vaccine could be approved by regulators for use in several countries, including the United States, in the coming months, the vaccine maker’s CEO said on Monday.

The company has applied for emergency clearance from 10 different regulators, Stanley Erck told CNBC “Squawk on the Street.” It’s currently available in 170 countries, he said.

“I’m assuming we could have all 10 in the next 90 days,” said Erck.

The company submitted its final data to the US Food and Drug Administration on New Year’s Eve. It has yet to file the full emergency approval application but will do so shortly and awaits a decision from US regulators in February, he said.

A woman holds a small bottle with the sticker “Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine” and a medical syringe in front of the Novavax logo displayed in this image from October 30, 2020.

Given Ruvic | Reuters

Erck did not name the other regulatory authorities, but, according to the company, recently applied for approval in Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Several other health authorities around the world have already approved the vaccine.

Novavax recently shipped its first doses of the vaccine to Europe, Erck said after receiving approval from European Union regulators last month.

“It all comes together,” Erck told CNBC.

The vaccine could be in high demand. Novavax’s vaccine is protein based and uses an alternative technology to the more widely used mRNA vaccines. Skeptics suspicious of mRNA technology might be inclined to get the Novavax version, said Erck, which also had fewer side effects than other vaccines.

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