Novavax COVID vaccine highly effective — except against South African strain

The vaccine candidate from Novavax is almost 90 percent effective against COVID-19 — but just under 50 percent effective against the new South African variant of the virus, the company announced Thursday.

A UK study found the Novavax vaccine was 89.3 percent effective in protecting test participants from developing COVID-19 symptoms, the company said in a press statement.

The good results came despite the new, highly transmittable coronavirus variant now circulating in the UK.