Federal government prepares for introduction of new COVID-19 vaccine targeting recent variants

As the fall season approaches, the federal government of Canada is preparing to potentially introduce a new COVID-19 vaccine. However, health officials have yet to approve its use. As of Thursday afternoon, Health Canada remains actively reviewing submissions from pharmaceutical giants Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna regarding updates to the current composition of COVID-19 vaccines. Mark Johnson, the spokesperson for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), has stated that the authorization process hinges on several factors, including submission dates, review timelines, official approvals, and the vaccine manufacturers’ supply capacities.

Awaiting Approval: Updates on the New Vaccine

With the ongoing review process, Mark Johnson has refrained from confirming the production and distribution costs of the new vaccine. Moreover, the number of vaccine doses Canada is slated to receive remains uncertain until the approval process concludes.

Distinctive Features of the New Vaccine: Unlike previous iterations of COVID-19 vaccines that offered protection against various virus variants, the forthcoming version, pending approval, targets the latest variants responsible for a surge in hospitalizations across Canada. Shehzad Iqbal, the country medical director at Moderna Canada, explained that a vaccine aligned with the circulating virus strains enhances the immune response’s preparedness against the evolving threat.

The new vaccine is specifically designed to combat the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant includes strings such as BA.2.86 and EG.5.1. This strategic adaptation addresses the virus’s ongoing mutations, which have rendered its original form an “ancestral virus.”

Evolving Vaccination Strategies: Dawn Bowdish, a Canada Research Chair in Aging and Immunity and professor at McMaster University, underscores the necessity of evolving vaccination strategies. Over the pandemic’s past three and a half years, the virus has undergone significant mutations, rendering the original virus extinct. Previous vaccines contained a combination of the original virus and Omicron variants. Bowdish noted the critical distinction between influenza vaccinations, typically administered once a year due to the relatively stable nature of the flu virus, and COVID-19 shots, which may require more frequent updates to counter multiple waves of different variants.

Anticipated Rollout and International Review: Pending approval, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends administering doses of the new vaccine starting in the fall. This would apply to authorized age groups at least six months after their most recent COVID-19 vaccination or known SARS-CoV-2 infection, whichever occurred later. However, Johnson emphasized that the exact distribution timeline remains uncertain as Health Canada continues its review.

In the event of approval, the federal government is poised to launch a nationwide campaign disseminating crucial information, including vaccination guidance. The aim is to mitigate the strain on healthcare systems during the respiratory illness season. Notably, health authorities worldwide, including the United States and Europe, are also reviewing the newly formulated vaccine, as confirmed by a Pfizer spokesperson.