Novavax and Government of Canada Finalize Advance Purchase Agreement for COVID-19 Vaccine
Novavax Inc., a vaccine development company, has announced that it has finalized an advance purchase agreement with the Government of Canada for its COVID-19 vaccine. The agreement is expected to provide enough doses to vaccinate 10 million Canadians with the Novavax vaccine, once it receives approval from Health Canada.
The Novavax vaccine is currently in late-stage clinical trials and is showing promising results in preventing COVID-19. The vaccine works by mimicking the coronavirus spike protein, which triggers an immune response in the body. This immune response then helps to protect the individual from becoming ill with COVID-19.
The Novavax vaccine is different from other COVID-19 vaccines, such as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as it is a protein subunit vaccine. This means that it contains only a piece of the coronavirus (the spike protein) rather than the whole virus. This makes the vaccine easier to manufacture and store, which is an important factor for global distribution.
The advance purchase agreement between Novavax and the Government of Canada is part of Canada`s COVID-19 vaccine procurement strategy. The strategy aims to provide Canadians with access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible.
Canada has also secured doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. The government has stated that it aims to have enough doses of COVID-19 vaccines to vaccinate all Canadians who wish to receive the vaccine by September 2021.
The Novavax vaccine has also received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This funding has helped to support the development and manufacturing of the vaccine.
In conclusion, the advance purchase agreement between Novavax and the Government of Canada is an important step in Canada`s COVID-19 vaccine procurement strategy. The Novavax vaccine, if approved by Health Canada, has the potential to provide Canadians with another safe and effective vaccine option against COVID-19. It is important for Canadians to continue to follow public health guidelines and get vaccinated when it becomes available to them.