The year 2021 ended as badly as no one could have imagined. What started with promises of vaccine-induced return to normal-ism, ended with record high cases in many (most?) states and countries across the globe. Hospitalizations are following in some. The United States reached the grim milestone of over 800,000 COVID related deaths, New York City joined a few other cities in taking away basic constitutional freedoms from its’ inhabitants, and even the unimaginable passing of the beloved actress, Betty White (let’s be honest, we all wanted (and thought) she would live forever)).
However at 12am we officially moved on to a new year. Although the end of ’21 has many of us less-than-enthusiastic about ’22, there may finally be some hope for those of us who refuse to get coerced into the mRNA/DNA vaccine.
On Friday, Novavax submitted it’s final piece of data with the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization of it’s COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine maker, located in Maryland, differs from the other three vaccines currently available in the US: Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J; It does not utilize the newer mRNA or DNA method, but instead, the time-tested subunit vaccine technology.
A subunit vaccine uses a dead piece of the actual virus to illicit an immune response. A full-fledge, naturally-derived immune response. Subunit vaccines are the same ones used in previous vaccines such as those for Hepatitis B, and HPV.
Subunit vaccines have been around since 1981, and have had over 99% less adverse events reported post-vaccination (via VAERS). Novavax’s vaccine has shown 90% efficiency against COVID in trial in the US, as well as strong protection against variants, according to the company. Novavax has been around since 1987, however had failed to bring two vaccines to the market due to inefficiency: Ebola in 2015 & RSV in 2016. The Ebola vaccine never reached Phase II, and RSV didn’t apply for authorization after Phase III. However, their COVID vaccine has passed Phase III and is already available in over 50 countries. For some, their past failures may be uninviting, but at least we are rest assured they don’t bolster reports and push fake studies.
The Novavax vaccine uses cells from moths and an adjuvant made from tree bark. If you’re looking for the more “organic” vaccine, this is it. No experimental DNA/mRNA technology with plausible VAED. It may not help stop mandates (rather, it may help) but it will help put some of our minds at ease when/if we are forced to oblige.