Health Canada has approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine

Health Canada has approved Moderna SPIKEVAX, a vaccine that targets the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. It can be used to vaccinate people 6 months of age and older.

Moderna filed an application to register the new vaccine with Health Canada on June 29, 2023. After a thorough independent review, the Ministry concluded that the vaccine meets the safety, efficacy and quality requirements.

According to the instructions for use, people 5 years of age and older should get one dose of the vaccine, no matter what their COVID-19 vaccination history is. Children 6 months to 4 years of age should get 2 doses if they have not been previously vaccinated against coronavirus, or 1 dose if they have been previously vaccinated with one or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

The Ministry of Health is also already actively reviewing vaccine registration applications targeting the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant from Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax (the Novavax vaccine is available for people 12 years of age and older). These applications are being prioritized by special scientific panels.

Health Canada reminds you that vaccination is still the most effective way to protect against coronavirus. There is evidence that all vaccines used in Canada are very effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Also, because the protection that the vaccine provides decreases over time, revaccination every six months is recommended.

It is expected to start vaccinating people with the updated vaccine as early as October this year. The introduction of new vaccines against COVID-19 is especially urgent now that the country is expecting an increase in the number of cases of this virus.