Health Canada has authorized an adapted vaccine from Novavax to prevent COVID-19 in people age 12 and older.
The vaccine uses a traditional approach to defend the body against COVID.
It contains a version of the viral spike protein and is also authorized as a booster for those 18 and older, according to Health Canada’s webpage.
Novavax said it expects to have doses available across the country.
Novavax’s first vaccine to protect against COVID-19, known as Nuvaxovid, was authorized for use in Canadians 18 and over by Health Canada in February 2022.
Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines have also been updated to target XBB.1.5 and are approved for use in Canada, including in kids under 12.
Canadian doctors are bracing for what could be another busy cold and flu season as cases of RSV and influenza are on the rise while COVID-19 continues to circulate.
The announcement comes as the federal government reported more than 8,000 detections of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, in lab tests across the country — including people admitted to hospital — with a positivity rate of 19 per cent. That’s up slightly nationally for the week ending Nov. 25.
Influenza season has also officially started across Canada with levels of flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) within those expected for this time of year.
It is not too late to get vaccinated against flu, say provincial health officials encouraging people to protect themselves from several respiratory viruses that could peak over the holiday season.