The COVID-19 pandemic

[Bjays93]

AZ was not traditional, it is more traditional than Pfizer and Moderna but it is not the same as Novavax. AZ uses double DNA technology, whereas Novavax uses lab made spike proteins that mimic the covid spike proteins to train our body to fight off an infection. It's the standard method that's been used for decades and has had the highest recorded efficacy of all vaccines thus far. Hopefully given its traditional nature it will be approved for the under 12 category and I personally believe it should be the vaccine prioritized for anyone under 18

Novavax for children is not very far along, though, is it? They are just doing the 12+ trials now.

I think BioNTech/Pfizer will likely be the first one available for under-12s, and that's likely still six months away.

Correct Novavax isn't far along right now which is a shame because it should be. It's original timeline was ahead of modernas but moderna had very powerful backers and the mRNA vaccine was really getting pushed hard over traditional alternatives when all this started. I personally believe at the very least as much time and funding should have been put in to traditional vaccines, especially given some are yielding the most positive results we've seen thus far. 

I understand the hesitancy was around the fact that a traditional vaccine had not yet been designed for coronaviruses but a mRNA vaccine had never even hit market so I really think it always was 6 of one half dozen of the other. There's a very good article by the Atlantic that basically details how Novavax is the best option available and that overhyping mRNA vaccines might be costing us long term. Of course hindsight is always 2020 but I have heard a lot of very VERY positive stuff about Novavax from the medical community and the more traditional nature of it *should* eliminate any concerns around unknowns that come with mRNA vaccines. 

On top of that storage temperature, price, ability to manufacture and transport more easily make it a fantastic candidate from a logistical standpoint. I really hope it can be the piece of the puzzle that pushes us over the top and allows us to put this pandemic crap in our rearview mirrors