(Reuters) -Canada’s health regulator said on Thursday it has approved Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in people aged 18 years and older.
The vaccine’s safety and effectiveness in people younger than 18 years of age have not yet been established, Health Canada said in its release.
Canada has committed to purchase 52 million doses of the vaccine, with an option to buy up to 24 million doses more.
Novavax’s protein-based vaccine is being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and has received approvals from the European Union and the World Health Organization.
It has also been cleared for use in adults in countries including the UK, New Zealand and Australia. The company last week said its vaccine was about 80% effective in a late-stage trial in adolescents.
(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
