Novavax COVID vaccine gets backing from FDA advisory panel

Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani joins the Live show to detail Novavax's FDA approval for its two-dose COVID vaccine for adults.

Video Transcript

RACHELLE AKUFFO: We turn now to some breaking news on the Novavax vaccine. The FDA's expert panel voted to recommend its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine for adults. For more on the decision and the next steps, let's bring in Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani with the details. Anjalee.

ANJALEE KHEMLANI: Thanks, Rachelle. Yeah, we got that vote, 21 to 0, which is 21 of the 22 members voting in favor of, and then one abstention. Now we have to point out that this was a very long conversation today around this vaccine. It would make Novavax the fourth vaccine authorized in the US if it makes it through the next steps, which include an FDA decision, a CDC advisory meeting, and a CDC decision.

Now, what stands between that and full authorization is, really, a conversation around the manufacturing. We know that they are relying on the Serum Institute of India to provide these global doses, including to the US. And some questions there about relying on one source and whether or not they can open up US manufacturing. In addition, the idea of myocarditis-- now that's heart inflammation-- being found in some of the clinical data. We know that that got brought up when the FDA revealed its briefing documents last week.

And that had been part of the conversation of whether or not to include a warning about that heart inflammation risk, even though some experts did say it was comparable to what we've seen in mRNA vaccines. And that has really started a whole discussion. So a lot going on there, but the good news for this company, of course, is that it's finally moving forward after a lot of obstacles that it hit.

One panelist noting that the company really is a story of perseverance to continue moving through the process, even at a time like this. And really, the goal of the Novavax vaccine being to target those who are vaccine hesitant, maybe relying or needing a more traditional technology. But even with that risk of myocarditis, there seems to be some interest, at least, in these two doses for now. Back to you.