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This email is being sent to approved COVID-19 Vaccine Program Providers, Local Health Jurisdictions, and Emergency Preparedness Contacts.
Dear COVID-19 Vaccine Partners,
On July 19, 2022, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup voted to recommend the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted for individuals 18 years and older. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the vaccine primary series last week. The Novavax vaccine provides another option for adults who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. The Novavax standing order can be found here.
Here’s what you should know:
- The Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup concluded that Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective to be administered to people ≥ 18 years of age.
- Providers are authorized to administer Novavax per the ACIP recommendations as soon as it is available for order in Washington state.
- The Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine is a two-dose primary series. The second dose is administered three weeks after the first dose.
- In studies, the vaccine was 90.4% effective in preventing mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19.
- While new to the United States, the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine has been used safely in other countries for months. It was authorized for emergency use by the World Health Organization in December 2021.
- It contains the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and Matrix-M adjuvant. An adjuvant increases a vaccine’s ability to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight off disease (to improve vaccine effectiveness).
- Common side effects include swelling, redness and tenderness at the injection site, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, joint pain, nausea/vomiting, and fever.
- An ongoing, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study on participants 18 years of age and older assesses the vaccine.
- As with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Novavax recipients may have an increased risk of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart), usually within 10 days of vaccination. This has only been reported in men and the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.
- Report any vaccine administration errors and patient side effects or reactions on VAERS.
- The FDA and CDC will continually monitor vaccine safety.
- Read this page to find out more about how a vaccine gets authorized or approved in the U.S.
Novavax vaccines are available to order now in the Washington State Immunization Information System (WAIIS). Washington state received a limited number of Novavax doses, and we ask that providers review the following before placing an order:
- The Federal Government has asked that this product be used to vaccinate patients who have not yet received any COVID-19 vaccine doses.
- Not all orders in the WAIIS will be approved. We have an extremely limited number of doses available, and it is not clear if we will receive more. We will be using Vaccine Depot resources to help connect on increasing access to the vaccine.
- WAIIS orders are 100 doses minimum – a box of 10 vials with 10 doses in each vial.
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Once the vial is punctured, it must be used within 6 hours. Please keep this in mind when scheduling appointments for first and second doses.
- At time of order, order enough vaccine for first and second doses. For example, if you order 100 doses, 50 doses are for the first vaccine, and 50 doses are for the second vaccine. 100 doses = 50 patients (first and second dose).
- Please order based on demand to reduce wastage. Second-dose appointments should be scheduled at the time the first dose is administered.
Want to learn more about how to integrate COVID-19 vaccines into your clinic workflow and hear from other providers on how they talk to skeptical patients? An upcoming two-part COVID-19 vaccines webinar series is for you. Learn more and sign up here.
Research continues to show that vaccination against COVID-19 saves lives and the newly authorized Novavax vaccine will offer even more choices to your patients to protect them. Thank you for your work in keeping individuals up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines.
In partnership,
COVID-19 Vaccine Program
Prevention and Community Health Division
Washington State Department of Health
COVID.vaccine@doh.wa.gov
360-236-3873 | www.doh.wa.gov
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