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Jeff Gilchrist Profile picture
@jeffgilchrist
Sep 10, 2023 • 40 tweets • 10 min read • Read on X
#Novavax vs mRNA vaccine

This thread explains how @Novavax is different from the #Moderna and #Pfizer #mRNA #vaccines and describes some of the benefits such as broadened #variant recognition, more durable #immunity, and fewer side effects. 🧵1/ Image of COVID-19 virus, mRNA strand, Novavax vaccine spike nanoparticles and a syringe. Image made from content at : https://www.genomicseducation.hee.nhs.uk/blog/why-mrna-vaccines-arent-gene-therapies/ and https://www.novavax.com/science-technology/recombinant-protein-based-nanoparticle-vaccine-technology
An unrolled one-page web view for this long thread that may be easier to read or share can be found here ( ). 2/
Novavax is a protein based vaccine (similar designs have also been used for many years for tetanus, diphtheria and hepatitis B). Novavax presents the full COVID-19 Spike protein in nanoparticles designed to mimic the structure of the virus itself ( ). 3/ novavax.com/science-techno…
Image showing COVID-19 virus with spike protein and Novavax Spike protein trimer attached to a nanoparticle core to mimic the structure of the virus. Image from: https://novavax.com/science-technology/recombinant-protein-based-nanoparticle-vaccine-technology
mRNA vaccines on the other hand get your immune cells to produce copies of the full Spike protein as single Spikes on their own which may interact differently with the immune system than Novavax's multi-Spike arrangement around a core. 4/ Image showing COVID-19 spike protein created from mRNA inside an immune dendritic cell, on its own. Image from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nD6Q9X0SFw
This video shows you how the mRNA Spikes are produced in your body ( ). 5/
Another big difference between Novavax and the mRNA vaccines is that Novavax uses an adjuvant called Matrix-M made from the soapbark tree to enhance the immune response to the vaccine. 6/
This adjuvant induces early activation of innate immune cells at the injection site and in the draining lymph nodes ( ). H/T: @paulseaman31 7/ tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…
Diagram showing what happens to the vaccine and adjuvant molecules after being injected into the muscle and after being taken up by antigen presenting cells. Image from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645515.2023.2189885
You can read the study to to get much more details about the mechanisms of action with Matrix-M, including interesting facts such as within 24 hours both the Spike antigens and adjuvant are undetectable at the injection site... 8/
...since they have already been processed and transported to the draining lymph nodes by immune cells. I wonder if that is one of the reasons why many people feel much less pain in their arms after injection compared to mRNA shots? 9/
Using Matrix-M translates into an improved magnitude and quality of the antibody response to the Spike protein (antigen) and importantly broadened recognition of locations on the Spike (epitopes). 10/
This improvement was actually seen in the real world with the BA.1 and BA.5 variants and the original Novavax vaccine formula. 11/
Both Pfizer and Moderna released bivalent BA.1/BA.5 vaccines in fall 2022 since the antibodies generated from their original mRNA vaccines could no longer neutralize these newer Omicron variants. 12/
Novavax however did not release a bivalent vaccine because their original vaccine formula with Matrix-M still worked with the BA.1 and BA.5 variants. 13/
The Matrix-M adjuvant elicited antibodies from a broader set of locations on the Spike protein (epitopes) so even when some of the locations mutated with BA.1 and BA.5, the conserved locations could still be recognized by the immune system. ( ). 14/ medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
Graphs showing Immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 against ancestral and variant strains of SARS-CoV-2, by dose (n=34). (A) Anti-rS IgG titers by dose for the ancestral (n=34) and BA.1 variant (n=31). Data were not available for the BA.1 variant for 3 of 34 participants. Dotted line represents approximate correlates of protection titers as derived for the ancestral strain.22 (B) Neutralizing (ID50) antibody titers by dose for the ancestral, BA.1, and BA.4/BA.5 variants. Dotted line represents approximate correlates of protection titers as derived for the ancestral strain.22 (C) Antigenic cartogra...
There have also been suggestions to improve mRNA vaccine potency, durability, safety and T-cell response by using adjuvants ( ). 15/nature.com/articles/s4155…
In mice they found the adjuvant in mRNA vaccines increased antibody levels 10x and produced Fc-binding antibodies which showed better control over viral replication and help predict resolution of severed COVID-19 ( ). 16/
Many people have anecdotally discovered and reported that Novavax doses had much lower side effects than when they received an mRNA shot. 17/
Multiple studies have now shown this to be the case as well. One preprint study (supported by Novavax) that compares the reactogenicity (frequency of side effects) of Novavax and mRNA vaccines ( ). H/T: @michaelzlin 18/medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
They found a notable difference in the percentage of reported side effect symptoms with Novavax being lower in each category:
* 30.8% lower muscle pain
* 30.4% lower injection site pain
* 25.7% lower fatigue
* 25.4% lower injection site tenderness
* 24.9% lower malaise

19/ Graph of Percentage of Booster Dose Participants Reporting Local and Systemic Adverse Events. Solicited local and systemic adverse events among participants receiving an mRNA booster (blue) or an NVX-CoV2373 booster (orange) which are plotted. Unadjusted results are based on participant diaries collected over 6 days post-vaccination. Image from: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.05.31.23290594v1.full
* 22.4% lower swelling
* 18.3% lower headache
* 17.5% lower joint pain
* 13% lower redness
* 12% lower fever
* 3.5% lower nausea/vomiting

20/
What about people who had mRNA doses previously but want to consider Novavax? There have been several studies now that found mixing the two, getting mRNA and then Novavax actually gave better results than just mRNA on its own. 21/
One study found that getting Novavax as a booster after mRNA "may enhance the persistence and durability of vaccine-mediated immunity compared to mRNA options"... 22/
...with slower decay rate compared to an mRNA booster dose and less side effects than mRNA boosters ( ). H/T: @Daniel_E_Park 23/tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…
A randomized controlled trial found that getting a Novavax dose after Pfizer mRNA elicited the highest humoral and peak cellular immune responses ( ). H/T: @michaelzlin 24/journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-…
The mRNA + Novavax combination also had the lowest rate of breakthrough infections and the study also found fewer moderate and severe systemic adverse effects for Novavax than Pfizer mRNA. 25/ Graph of Kaplan–Meier curves for risk of self-reported SARS-CoV-2 infections during follow-up. B: seronegative participants randomised before 29th November 2021; Image from: https://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453(23)00330-4/fulltext
Neutralising antibodies against Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were higher with Novavax after mRNA compared to two mRNA doses. 26/
Now you have more details as to how Novavax is different and some of the nice benefits including for people who had mRNA shots previously. 27/
I'm hoping that the Matrix-M adjuvant will again show its ability to broaden the immune system's ability to choose epitopes so that it might continue to work better for upcoming variants as it did when BA.1 and BA.5 emerged. 28/
FYI, I do not work for Novavax or have any investments or make any money from Novavax selling products. 29/
I am a little confused as to why @Novavax just recently filed their regulatory approval paperwork with Health Canada as many people are waiting for the fall boosters so it would be a shame if they were not available soon like the mRNA fall boosters are expected to be. 30/
While vaccines are important, they should be the last layer of protection to rely on in case all the other layers fail and you get exposed. Vaccines should not be the one and only layer governments all seem to be currently relying on. 31/ Click "Show replies" 👇 to continue.
ASHRAE Standard 241, Control of Infectious Aerosols ( ) was released in July 2023 so this should now be adopted and required in air quality standards for buildings like governments already require clean drinking water standards for these same buildings.32/ashrae.org/technical-reso…
It is important to have good indoor air quality, not just from viruses but also for cognitive function and from other air pollutants (like wildfire smoke) which have been linked to various health problems ( ). 33/
Aerosol and particulate matter (PM) particles can also be filtered and removed from the air using HVAC filters like MERV-13 or better, HEPA filters, build yourself CR-boxes with traditional fans or super quiet versions with PC fans. 34/
You can find guides and useful information on my website ( ). 35/covid.gilchrist.ca
Since you don't have control over the air quality in most public spaces you can also use personal filters (aka masks) with a good seal designed to protect from airborne pathogens like N95 respirators. 36/
To find out how well your mask seals, you can see my thread on fit testing ( ) and some of the test results I got comparing masks ( ). 37/
Some people misunderstand and think filters such as HEPA and mask material work like a sieve or chain link fence which allow smaller objects like flies to pass through. 38/
This thread explains how the laws of physics are used to allow the filtering material to stop such tiny smoke and aerosol particles ( ). 39/
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More from @jeffgilchrist

Jeff Gilchrist Profile picture
Oct 25
How does various mask fit compare to filter the air and protect you or others?

Most masks, even baggy blue procedure masks use filtering material that can filter 95%+ of particles that pass through it, but the key is "pass through it". 🧵1/ Bar chart titled “Equivalent Exposure Time to Unmasked Person.” The chart compares how long different masks/respirators extend the equivalent exposure time relative to being unmasked. The x-axis shows unmasked infection times of 1, 5, and 10 minutes. The y-axis shows equivalent masked exposure time, ranging up to 5000 minutes. Seven mask types are represented by colored bars: - Procedure mask (loose fit, FF=2) - Ear loop mask (tight fit, FF=6) - Vertical bifold headband mask (FF=30) - N95 headband masks with fit factors of 100, 200, and 500 Key pattern: higher fit factor masks dramatically ...
Protection mostly depends on how well that mask fits your specific face and one that does not fit well, much of the air you breathe will go around the filter material and filter 0% of those particles. 2/
There has been a chart going around recently that talks about "Time it takes to transmit an infectious dose of COVID-19" which is misleading if you don't understand all of the details of how that table was made and what each component means. 3/
Read 25 tweets
Jeff Gilchrist Profile picture
Oct 19
** Ontario Variant Update (to Oct. 3, 2025) **

The XFG.* "Stratus" family is accounting for 83% while the next closest variant family NB.1.8.1.* "Nimbus" is 12.8% of sequenced genomes from COVID tests. 🧵1/ Line graph showing COVID-19 variant family frequencies in Ontario, Canada, from June to October 2025, based on 3,722 sequenced genomes.
Looking at specific variants, XFG.3 has dropped considerably and its descendent XFG.3.15 now takes first place at 6.2%, followed by XFG.3 at 5.2% and XFG.2 at 4.5%. 2/ Line graph showing specific COVID-19 variant frequencies in Ontario, Canada, from June to October 2025, based on 3,722 sequenced genomes.
It looks like PY.1.1.1 was trying to make a run for the top in mid-September but has decreased significantly. PY.1.1.1 is a descendant of LF.7 while the XFG variant is a recombination of LF.7 and LP.8.1.2 so they would share some mutations in common. 3/
Read 10 tweets
Jeff Gilchrist Profile picture
Sep 9
*** Ontario Variant Update (to: Aug. 16, 2025) ***

Ontario COVID sequence updates have been more frequent over the past month with the XFG.* "Stratus" family of variants now at 74% of sequences, NB.1.8.1.* "Nimbus" at 22% and LP.8.1.* down to 3%. #Variants #XFG #Stratus 🧵1/ Line graph showing COVID-19 variant frequencies in Ontario, Canada, from May to mid August 2025, based on 1,772 sequenced genomes. The XFG.* Stratus variant rises sharply to dominate over 70% by August. Other variants, including FLiRT and LP.8.1.*, decline over the same period, while NB.1.8.1.* Nimbus remains steady around 20% and several minor variants remain at low levels.
Looking at specific variants as of mid August, XFG.5.1 is most prevalent at 13%, NB.1.8.1 in second at 10%, XFG.2 in third at 8.6% and XFG.3 in fourth at 7.4%. 2/ Line graph showing COVID-19 variant frequencies in Ontario from 5 July to 16 August 2025, based on 750 sequenced genomes. Seven variants are tracked: NB.1.8.1, XFG.2, XFG.3, XFG.3.4.1, XFG.3.1, XFG.4.1, and XFG.5.1. Frequencies range from 0% to about 14%, with some variants rising, others falling, and some fluctuating over time. A bar chart below shows the number of samples collected on each date.
LP.8.1 is what this fall's Japan Novavax vaccine and the mRNA vaccines are designed for which is now almost gone and typical of how these things work with vaccine manufacturing timing while Novavax is providing the previous year's JN.1 vaccine formula for the USA again. 3/
Read 18 tweets
Jeff Gilchrist Profile picture
Jun 9
Understanding Canadian Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) & Wildfire Smoke

Wildfire smoke consists of toxic gases and particulate matter (PM) when breathed in gets into our lungs, bloodstream, and even our brain. 🧵1/
#iaq #wildfire #smoke #AQI #AQHI #Canada Bar chart of Canadian Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) - Equivalent # Cigarettes after Exposure ranging from 0.5 cigarettes after 8 hours exposure at AQHI level 3 to 0.9 cigarettes at level 6 and 1.5 at level 10.
Graph of Particulate Matter (PM) Levels in Ottawa from June 6, 2025 to June 8, 2025 from a VisiblAir Model X air quality sensor ( https://visiblair.com/ ).
The web version of this article with nice table of contents and easy to share with others can be found here ( tinyurl.com/AQHIwildfire ) and ( docs.google.com/document/d/1s9… ). 2/ Table of Contents: * Introduction * Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) * Health impact of Wildfire Smoke * Protect Yourself
When smoke stays in the air for prolonged periods of time, the UV radiation from the sun interacts with all the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to form even more toxic gases ( ). 3/theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weathe…
Read 41 tweets
Jeff Gilchrist Profile picture
Jun 6
Pollution levels in Ottawa are very high from wildfire smoke. The particulate matter (PM)2.5 levels surpassed 140 ug/m^3 Thursday evening and are still above 130 on my VisiblAir Model X outdoor sensor ( ). 🧵1/ #iaq #wildfire #smoke visiblair.comLine graph showing PM2.5 levels in Ottawa increasing above 140 ug/m^3 and still above 130 now
Readings from a VisiblAir Model X outdoor air quality monitor showing levels in Ottawa above 130 ug/m^3 for PM2.5 wildfire smoke pollution
The EPA maps fine particulate pollution to their Air Quality Index where anything above 125.5 PM is Very Unhealthy which is a "Health alert: The risk of health effects is increased for everyone" ( ). 2/airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/
EPA Categories:
* Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (Orange) = 35.5-55.4 PM ug/m^3
* Unhealthy for everyone (Red) = 55.5 to 125.4 PM ug/m^3
* Very Unhealthy (Purple) = 125.5 to 225.4 PM ug/m^3
* Hazardous (Brown) = 225.5+ PM ug/m^3

3/
Read 13 tweets
Jeff Gilchrist Profile picture
Feb 10
#Ottawa, #Ontario, #Canada Virus Update:

You can see in the graph, COVID makes up the majority of new hospitalizations due to #Flu, #RSV or #COVID throughout the year, and even stays ahead during winter respiratory virus season. 🧵1/ A line graph displaying the percentage of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19, Influenza, or RSV over time, from September 1, 2023, to January 26, 2025. The x-axis represents weeks within this period, and the y-axis shows percentages from 0% to 100%. The graph has three colored lines: blue for COVID-19, purple for Influenza, and teal for RSV. The graph shows fluctuations in the percentage of hospitalizations due to each cause over time, with COVID-19 consistently having the highest percentage, followed by Influenza and RSV.
New hospitalizations are increasing again. This last update was the first time Flu hospitalizations (42) were significantly higher than COVID (34) in the same week with RSV at 14 people. 2/ The bar chart shows the number of new hospitalizations per week in Ottawa from August 27, 2023, to January 26, 2025. The y-axis represents the number of patients, ranging from 0 to 100. The x-axis represents the weeks. The bars are color-coded: blue for COVID-19, purple for Influenza, and teal for RSV. The chart shows fluctuations in hospitalizations over time, with notable peaks around December 2023 and January 2025.
In Ottawa, test positivity for Flu A (bright green) has really increased, COVID is still in second place, but seasonal human coronavirus is almost the same level, followed by Entero/Rhinovirus, and then RSV for the top 5. 3/ A stacked area chart displaying the percentage of positive tests for various viruses over time, from October 1, 2022, to January 26, 2025. The x-axis represents weeks within this period, while the y-axis represents the percentage, cumulatively stacked to 100%. The chart features the following viruses, each depicted in a distinct color: COVID-19 (red), Entero/Rhinovirus (yellow), Seasonal human coronavirus (purple), RSV (green), Parainfluenza (all types) (blue), Influenza B (dark purple), Influenza A (light green), Human metapneumovirus (pink), and Adenovirus (dark blue). The data shows fluc...
Read 6 tweets

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