Novavax says COVID-19 vaccine was 90% effective in Phase 3 trial, including against variants
14 June 2021
Novavax, a Maryland biotechnology company, announced Monday that its COVID-19 vaccine was 90.4% effective in its Phase 3 trial, including against coronavirus variants.
Why it matters: The study of 29,960 participants in the U.S. and Mexico found the shot was safe and highly effective, paving the way for the FDA to clear a 4th vaccine for emergency use by the end of the year.
Between the lines: Because the U.S. is currently sitting on a significant supply on vaccines provided by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, Novavax doses could be exported to other countries as the Biden administration seeks to fulfill its goal of helping vaccinate the world.
By the numbers: The vaccine was found to be 90.4% effective overall and 100% effective at protecting against moderate and severe disease.
- The results of the study demonstrate efficacy comparable to the Pfizer and Modera vaccine.
- Novavax said it remains on track to reach manufacturing capacity of 100 million doses per month by the end of Q3 and 150 million doses per month by the end of Q4.
What's next: Novavax said it would seek emergency authorization from the FDA and other regulators in Q3 of this year.
This story is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.