Health Canada is reviewing the Omicron-specific vaccine approved in the UK.

OTTAWA — New specifically tailored for the Omicron variant The number of COVID vaccines is still under review with Health Canada after the UK approved one of its new shots earlier this week.

, becoming the first country in the world to approve a new bivalent vaccine. and the BA.1 Omicron strain.

Pfizer and Moderna both have similar vaccines, and both are currently on the front lines of Canadian health officials. It said it received an application for Moderna in late June.Pfizer applied for approval to Health Canada in late July.

Johnson said a full investigation was underway, but did not specify when a vaccine would be approved.

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Independent process We make all vaccine applications through FDA and approve products based on scientific rigor and medical evidence," he said. “Like all COVID-19 vaccine applications, these are being prioritized for review by a dedicated scientific team.”

Although cases are trending down nationwide, Health Canada Canada confirmed more than 25,000 confirmed cases of COVID and 262 deaths last week, according to the latest figures.

The new vaccine was tailored to the Omicron BA1 variant, but since then new versions of Omicron have emerged that include the now-dominant BA.5 variant. It is encouraging companies to provide information to obtain approval for  vaccines targeting BA. 5 variant but have not received it yet.

Dr. Isaac Bogotch, an infectious disease physician and researcher, suggests that new vaccines may not specifically target the viruses currently circulating. No, but it could still go a long way in slowing the spread of the virus. virus.

"Though these vaccines are tailored for BA 1, they are still omicrons. This is an important point.

He also noted that when vaccines were first introduced

"The next point is that these vaccines are already being mass-produced and there are a lot of them around." There are a lot of them, and Canada and Europe bought them in bulk.”

Both companies have conducted clinical trials of their vaccines, demonstrating that the new formulations are safe and producing strong antibody responses in the lab. Bogotch said there is no way to tell whether a vaccine will be a big game-changer until it is widely distributed to the public. "It is hoped that we will be able to restore some of the protective effect of the vaccine to protect people from infection. That is the hope."

He added that while current vaccines do not offer strong protection against infection from Omicrons, they do prevent worse outcomes. I think it's very important to remember that the current vaccine we have is still absolutely fantastic in terms of protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death."

Bogotch said the COVID vaccine is being updated to take advantage of new strains, just as flu shots must be adapted every year. He said he hopes a more widely applicable pan-coronavirus vaccine will soon be available.

"It's a cat-and-mouse game right now. If we catch up with the virus, the virus will win," he said.

Canada has bivalent vaccine orders from both Pfizer and Moderna. Olivier Pilon, spokesman for Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi, said the vaccine would be available later this year if approved.

"The Canadian government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians by ensuring access to a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for him," he said in a statement. said in “Delivery of the Omicron-specific vaccine booster is expected to begin in fall 2022, subject to Health Canada regulatory approval.”

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