Novavax COVID 19 Vaccine Gets Approval for Use in Canada

A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Novavax logo in this illustration taken, on Oct. 30, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in Canada.

The vaccine, which is protein-based, is the first of its kind to get approval in the country.

Experts say a non-mRNA vaccine could win over some vaccine-hesitant people who have still not received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The U.S. company Novavax Inc. submitted its package for approval to Health Canada last November.

The Novavax shots have already been cleared for use in other countries, including Britain, Europe, Australia and Singapore.

Ottawa also signed a deal last year to produce the Novavax vaccine in Canada and a manufacturing plant was constructed in Montreal.