Study Results

A targeted review of the reactogenicity of authorized/approved messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein-based vaccines demonstrated by clinical trials and real-world evidence. It was found that mRNA-based boosters show a higher incidence and an increased severity of reactogenicity compared with the Novavax protein-based COVID-19 vaccine (NVX-CoV2373).

In a recent phase 1/2 study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the incidence of pain/tenderness, swelling, erythema, fatigue/malaise, headache, muscle pain, or fever was higher in individuals boosted with BNT162b2 (0.4% to 41.6% absolute increase) or mRNA-1273 (5.5% to 55% absolute increase) compared with NVX-CoV2373.

Study Summary

Evidence suggests that NVX-CoV2373 when utilized as a heterologous booster, demonstrates less reactogenicity than mRNA vaccines, which may strengthen booster uptake rates worldwide if communicated to hesitant individuals.