Novavax COVID-19 vaccine approved by CDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has given Novavax approval for its two-dose vaccine series for adults.

The vaccine is going to be available for those 18 years old and older.

It is now the fourth coronavirus vaccine being made available in the United States. The CDC said the vaccine will be available in the coming weeks.

 "Having multiple types of vaccines offers more options and flexibility for the public, jurisdictions, and vaccine providers," said the CDC in a press release.

President Biden responded to the vaccine's approval by calling this "another step forward in our nation's fight against the virus."

On the Novavax website, the vaccine is described to be "a protein-based vaccine engineered from the genetic sequence of the first strain of the virus that causes COVID-19."

"The vaccine was created using Novavax' recombinant nanoparticle technology to generate antigen derived from the coronavirus spike (S) protein and is formulated with Novavax' patented saponin-based Matrix-M™ adjuvant to enhance the immune response and stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies," explained the news release. "The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine contains purified protein antigen and can neither replicate, nor can it cause COVID-19. "

The United States has ordered 3.2 million doses of the Novavax vaccine.