Novavax aims to bring new COVID shot option to US

Americans may soon get a new COVID-19 vaccine option — a more traditional kind of shot known as a protein vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration is evaluating the vaccine made by Novavax. 

Its vaccine is made very differently than the widely used Pfizer and Moderna shots.  The Novavax shots train the body to fight the coronavirus by delivering copies of its outer coating, the spike protein.

Novavax's COVID-19 shots are authorized in numerous other countries but U.S. clearance is a key hurdle.  Health experts are closely watching to see if a new shot offers advantages, either in enticing vaccine holdouts or maybe even offering somewhat broader immunity.

On June 7, the FDA's scientific advisers will publicly evaluate evidence backing the Novavax vaccine for adults, and almost certainly will debate when and how it might be used as a booster.

If the FDA authorizes the vaccine, the next step would be recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use it.