Braced for an increase in COVID cases, Health Canada reviews 3 new vaccines
CBC
With early signs indicating the COVID-19 caseload is poised to grow in the weeks ahead, Health Canada is actively reviewing three new vaccines specifically designed to target an Omicron subvariant of the virus.
The department told CBC News Monday that new mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna and a non-mRNA product from Novavax have been part of a months-long review process and supplies could start to roll out in the fall.
That timeline is similar to what is planned south of the border. The U.S. is poised to release an updated COVID booster in late September once regulators there sign off on the new shots.
These new vaccines are designed for the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant now in widespread circulation.
When asked how many doses of these products the country is set to receive, a Health Canada spokesperson wouldn't give an exact figure but said in a media statement there will be an "ample supply" of the new formulation of mRNA vaccines.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said the company's shots are ready to be deployed as soon as regulators authorize their use.
Novavax's protein-based XBB COVID vaccine candidate will not be available until later this year, Health Canada said.
That shot is an option for people who are "unwilling or unable to receive an mRNA vaccine," the department said.
While the number of reported COVID-19 cases remains much lower than in the past, some agencies, notably Public Health Ontario (PHO), have reported an uptick in positive test results.
Of the roughly 12,700 tests administered in the province between Aug. 13 and Aug. 19, 9.9 per cent came back positive — a sharp increase from the 5.2 per cent positivity rate in early July.
"Per cent positivity remained stable from late April 2023 to the end of May, trended downwards until late June and has been trending upwards overall with the trend accelerating in the most recent weeks," PHO said in an update on respiratory viruses published Friday.
Ontario wastewater signals also suggest that COVID-19 infections are steadily increasing in number — although not to the high levels reported earlier this year.
The number of COVID-related hospitalizations in Ontario has been stable for months, despite an increase in test positivity.
The most commonly reported COVID-19 strain in Ontario is currently EG.5.1, followed by EG.5.1.1 and XBB.1.16, PHO said.
The national RCMP union is criticizing what it calls a "misleading" report that urges Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government to continue steps to ditch the Mounties.
Toronto police said a man is in custody in connection with a suspected arson at a federal government office building in North York Monday.
Yellowknife RCMP say that no one was seriously injured after an allegedly impaired driver rammed her car into and through the front entrance of the Explorer Hotel on Christmas Eve.
Members of a Canadian delegation that was denied entry to the West Bank earlier this month are calling on Ottawa to tighten sanctions targeting new Israeli settlements in occupied territory.
Vendors at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market are coming together for a one-time pop-up event this week after a fire forced the market to close indefinitely.
Many people associate Calgary's warm chinook winds with the onset of headaches, but experts say the science behind the correlation remains unclear.
Seabridge Gold says it plans to spin out its large but somewhat sidelined Courageous Lake gold project in the Northwest Territories into a new standalone company named Valor Gold, subject to regulatory approvals.
Sitting in Ottawa's Rainbow Bistro, preparing for his band to play a gig, former MP Charlie Angus was reflecting on the past year. His plan to quietly retire and write a book turned into creating viral videos viewed around the world and a cross-Canada tour to fight Donald Trump.
This fall, the Alberta government invoked the notwithstanding clause to force teachers back to work.
Plunging temperatures and strong winds are causing power outages in northern sections of the GTA Monday, following a storm system that brought night of heavy rain.
Bundle up, Londoners—meteorologists say Monday's fresh blast of winter weather is but the beginning of what's expected to be a highly active season to come.
A man in his 80s is dead following a fire at a North York retirement residence, according to first responders.
Every other Monday at 9 a.m., Don Hladiuk joins a Zoom call with a group of 30 to 45 students. They are eager to learn about space and astronomy, which Hladiuk is more than willing to talk about.