Ottawa, Feb 18 (IANS): Canada approved the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine for people aged 18 and over on Thursday, making it the fifth Covid-19 vaccine authorized in the country after AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson.

Health Canada said in a news release the vaccine is 90 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 and 100 per cent effective at preventing severe disease, Xinhua news agency reported.

While additional confirmatory data is needed, preliminary and exploratory data shows that the vaccine, named "Nuvaxovid," does produce neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant, Health Canada said.

It is a protein-based vaccine that is administered as a two-dose regimen of 5 mcg per dose, 21 days apart, according to the news release.

Last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the government secured a deal with Novavax to produce its vaccine here in Montreal, Canada once it gets approved for use in the country.