Novavax utilizes proteins rather than messenger RNA to stimulate the immune system.Adobe Stock
Editor’s note: This is an update to an article originally published on June 28.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that all Americans age 6 months and older get an updated 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine this fall to protect against potentially serious complications from the virus.
Among the choices Americans will likely see at the pharmacy, doctor’s office, or community clinic are updated shots by Pfizer and Moderna as well as a newer vaccine from an American biotech company called Novavax. The updated 2024-2025 Novavax shot was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 30 for people 12 and up.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are based on messenger RNA — genetic material that sends a message to human cells with instructions to produce a protein that helps prevent infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Novavax is a protein-based vaccine, a traditional vaccine technology that has long been used to immunize people against shingles, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), and other diseases.
“Novavax is made of proteins that resemble proteins in the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” says Taia T. Wang, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University in California. “Those proteins are processed by the body to stimulate the production of B and T cell responses that can fight off the virus.”
Who Should Opt for Novavax?
Peter Chin-Hong, MD, an infectious-disease specialist affiliated with UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, says that although the Novavax shot has not yet been widely used, it is a highly effective choice that may help improve vaccination rates.
“People who have had severe side effects from mRNA vaccines — like myocarditis [inflammation of the heart] — often do very well with Novavax because it is a different compound and type of vaccine,” says Dr. Chin-Hong. “Also, people who are worried about the ‘newness’ of mRNA vaccines may opt to use a more traditionally made vaccine like Novavax.”
He adds that some people may avoid mRNA shots because of a myth that these vaccines alter cells’ DNA. “This is not true, as the vaccine mRNA gets destroyed by the body after the message is read,” says Chin-Hong.
All three brands of COVID-19 vaccine have been shown to offer strong protection against complications from infection that can lead to serious illness, hospitalization, and death.
How Have This Fall’s COVID Vaccines Been Updated?
Similar to the influenza virus, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 mutates (changes), and updated shots from all the major vaccine producers are intended to better target the most recently circulating virus strains.
Novavax adjusted its vaccine formula to protect against the JN.1 lineage of the virus. The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines target the KP.2 strain, an offshoot of JN.1.
An updated 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine can restore and increase protection against the virus variants, according to the CDC. Vaccination also reduces the odds of experiencing long COVID, which can cause new or recurring symptoms for months or even years.
What Do COVID Shots Cost Now?
The CDC’s Bridge Access Program, which has provided free COVID-19 shots to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs, ended at the end of August. For anyone paying out of pocket, the retail price of a COVID vaccine is $190 at CVS.
But a Novavax representative told Everyday Health that most adults should be able to access the different COVID vaccines through insurance or additional assistance programs.
Children under the age of 18 have all vaccine costs covered by a federal program regardless of whether or not their parents or guardians can pay.
If you need help finding a vaccine near you, check the federal government website Vaccines.gov.
Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
FDA Authorizes Updated Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine to Better Protect Against Currently Circulating Variants. U.S. Food & Drug Administration. August 30, 2024.
What Are mRNA Vaccines and How Do They Work? MedlinePlus.
FDA Updates Advice to Manufacturers of COVID-19 Vaccines (2024–2025 Formula): If Feasible Use KP.2 Strain of JN.1-Lineage. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. June 13, 2024.
Don Rauf has been a freelance health writer for over 12 years and his writing has been featured in HealthDay, CBS News, WebMD, U.S. News & World Report, Mental Floss, United Press International (UPI), Health, and MedicineNet. He was previously a reporter for DailyRx.com where he covered stories related to cardiology, diabetes, lung cancer, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, menopause, and allergies. He has interviewed doctors and pharmaceutical representatives in the U.S. and abroad.
He is a prolific writer and has written more than 50 books, including Lost America: Vanished Civilizations, Abandoned Towns, and Roadside Attractions. Rauf lives in Seattle, Washington.
