As the World Health Organization warns about a “worrying comeback” of COVID-19 amid a summer surge of infections, new vaccines may soon come to Canada this fall.
Health Canada told Global News it is reviewing submissions from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax for their updated COVID-19 shots targeting the most recent strains circulating and will approve them if they are deemed safe and effective.
“Health Canada will authorize the vaccines if, following a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence, we determine that the vaccines meet safety, quality, and efficacy standards,” Nicholas Janveau, a spokesperson for the agency, said in an email Tuesday.
Starting in the fall of 2024, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) strongly recommends the most recently updated COVID-19 vaccines for previously vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19 illness.
These include everyone aged 65 or older, long-term care home residents, pregnant people, those with underlying medical conditions and people from Indigenous communities.
“Receiving the most recently updated COVID-19 vaccine is expected to provide a better immune response against circulating COVID-19 strains compared to earlier vaccines and is especially important for those at increased risk for COVID-19 infection or severe COVID-19 illness,” Janveau said.
The latest Canadian wastewater data, as of Tuesday, shows a “moderate” viral activity level of COVID-19 in the country, but that could change in the coming months as schools reopen and the weather gets cooler, experts say.
“I think from what we’ve seen, we are expecting there’s going to be a significant amount of COVID in the fall and winter,” Allison McGeer, an infectious disease physician at Sinai Health in Toronto, said in an interview with Global News.
McGeer said since “COVID is still a concern in Canada,” people should get vaccinated.
“There’s still very clearly a benefit to getting your shot when they’re available in Canada to protect you through the winter,” she said.
New vaccines for new variants
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus has constantly changed and mutated into different variants, keeping vaccine makers on their toes to update their shots.
The KP.3 variant is dominating in Canada right now, accounting for the majority of the COVID-19 cases in the country.
KP.3 is the genetic cousin of KP.1 and KP.2, which are playfully dubbed the “‘FLiRT’ variants.
These originate from JN.1, the Omicron subvariant that fuelled the winter surge.
Pfizer and Moderna’s updated mRNA vaccines that are seeking Health Canada approval both target the KP.2 variant.
The pharmaceutical companies told Global News that this variant was selected and prioritized in consultation with the Public Health Agency of Canada.
“The introduction of a KP.2-adapted vaccine is expected to provide improved immunity and help protect against the strains that are believed likely to be circulating in the fall,” said Sophie Morin, a Pfizer Canada spokesperson.
Moderna said choosing KP.2 for its updated shots aligns with the FDA’s recommendation, “ensuring a unified approach in North America to best address the dominant strains in this region.”
“As COVID-19 continues to mutate, these updates help ensure that vaccines provide the best possible effectiveness during the peak respiratory season,” Shehzad Iqbal, Moderna Canada’s country medical director, told Global News.
Novavax’s protein-based formula vaccine is also seeking Health Canada approval.
That vaccine targets the JN.1 variant, but is active against KP.2 and KP.3, in addition to other JN.1 sublineage strains, Novavax president and CEO John C. Jacobs said in a July statement.
McGeer said the predominant KP.3 variant circulating across North America is “pretty well covered by these new vaccines.”
“You get some coverage from the old vaccine … but there’s no doubt that the new vaccines are better adapted to it,” she said.
McGeer said it’s likely that Health Canada will approve the updated vaccines “within the next few weeks.”
She said for most people it is a good idea to wait for the new shots, but others who are at a greater risk or are travelling might want to talk to their doctors about getting vaccinated earlier.
Pending approval, Canada has secured a “sufficient supply” of COVID-19 vaccines to meet provincial and territorial requirements for the fall and winter, Janveau said.
— with files from Global News’ Katie Dangerfield.