OTTAWA — Health Canada has authorized an updated version of Moderna's COVID-19 booster vaccine.
The new bivalent shot targets the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants and is meant to be used as a booster dose for those aged 18 years and older.
It comes two months after Health Canada authorized a bivalent booster from Moderna that targeted the Omicron BA.1 subvariant and the original strain.
Health Canada says a bivalent booster triggers "a strong immune response" against both of the more recent Omicron subvariants,as well as the original SARS-CoV-2 virus strains.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization says Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are the dominant strains in circulation.
They feature several key mutations from the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, leading NACI to strongly recommend bivalent boosters that target Omicron.
On Oct. 7, Health Canada authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech's bivalent booster for people aged 12 and older. It also targets the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2022.
The Canadian Press
