Moderna’s COVID vaccine targeting XBB subvariants approved in Canada
Global News
Health Canada has authorized the Moderna COVID-19 booster shot, with the aim of strengthening people's protection against the virus for the fall.
Health Canada has given the green light to an eagerly anticipated fall COVID-19 booster shot in hopes of bolstering the nation’s defence against the virus as the fall season approaches.
The health regulator on Tuesday approved the updated vaccine made by Moderna for all Canadians over the age of six months. Approval for the updated Pfizer vaccine has not been announced.
Health officials have previously said the new vaccines are tailored to the dominant XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariants that are currently circulating in the country.
The approval comes as new COVID-19 variants — BA.2.86 and EG.5 — circulate the country, raising concerns about the effectiveness of existing vaccines and the need for continued vigilance in public health measures.
This comes a day after the United States approved updated COVID-19 vaccines. The shots from Moderna and Pfizer are available to most even if they’ve never had a coronavirus vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still must sign off on the vaccinations, which is expected to come Tuesday.
On Sept. 6, Pfizer said its new COVID-19 vaccine elicited a strong antibody response against the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant of the coronavirus in a preclinical study in mice.
Moderna also said clinical trial data in humans showed its updated shot will likely be effective against the variant.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has previously recommended Canadians roll up their sleeves for the updated booster in the fall if it has been at least six months since their last dose or COVID-19 infection.
B.C. health authorities have announced the first case of a human avian flu infection acquired in Canada, with the teenage patient in critical condition in hospital.
People have been hearing a lot about H5N1 bird flu — or highly pathogenic avian influenza — since a B.C. teen became the first human to get the virus in Canada and is in hospital.
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Emergency services are at the scene of a train derailment Thursday morning on Montreal's south shore, where they are urging citizens to stay away from the area.
"I was yelling at them saying get the F** away it’s a wild animal," resident Josh Merrin told Global News. "Sorry about my language."
H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers.
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Dr. Anna Wolak, a family physician in Vancouver, said many parents are likely having flashbacks to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite this flu being a single case.
WHO acknowledged that testing for mpox is still not widespread, making it difficult to understand how exactly the virus is spreading.