MANILA: The Philippines has approved the emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine by Novavax Inc, its food and drug agency chief said on Wednesday, the ninth vaccine approved in the Southeast Asian country.

The nanoparticle vaccine, under the brand name Covovax, will be manufactured by Serum Institute of India, and is approved for use on adults 18 and above, the agency's chief Rolando Enrique Domingo told a public briefing.

Covovax, which had efficacy of 89.7% in clinical trials, will be administered in two doses not less than 21 days apart, Domingo added.

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The Philippines has inoculated more than a quarter of its 110 million population.

Early this month, Novavax received its first emergency use authorisation from Indonesia. Novavax also filed an application for approval of the vaccine in Canada and with the European Medicines Agency.