Canadian Public Health on Thursday approved Moderna’s revised COVID-19 vaccine specifically targeting the Omicron variant and recommends one dose for all immunocompromised adolescents and adults.
Posted at 1:00 p.m.
This new version of the vaccine, said to be bivalent, targets both the original strain of the coronavirus, as well as the Omicron BA.1 sub-variant. “It aims to extend the duration of protection and will help us to face the next waves”, indicated the director of the Office of medical sciences of the federal ministry of Health, the Dr Marc Berthiaume, at a press conference Thursday morning.
It will be eligible for all adults, as well as adolescents 12-17 years old, with moderate to severe immunosuppression or with risk factors that put them at high risk for severe effects from COVID-19. Its use in minors, however, is not officially approved.
A new version
Until now, COVID-19 vaccines licensed in Canada have targeted the original strain of the virus. “These vaccines have served us well over time and continue to be very effective in preventing serious illness, hospitalizations and deaths,” said Dr.r Berthiaume.
Since the start of the pandemic, however, the virus has continued to mutate and show itself to be more adept at immune escape. “Each dose of Moderna’s new bivalent vaccine contains 50 mg of messenger RNA, with 25 mg targeting the original strain of SARS-COV-2 and 25 mg specifically targeting the Omicron subvariant. It’s basically two vaccines in one,” says Dr.r Berthiaume.
Although Moderna’s vaccine targets Omicron’s BA.1 subvariant, clinical trial results suggest that it induces a stronger immune response against Omicron’s BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, for compared to Moderna’s original COVID-19 vaccine.
No new side effects
Furthermore, the data to date have not shown any differences between the two vaccines with regard to the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis after a booster dose. “This new vaccine is similar to Moderna’s previously approved Spikevax and is associated with the same mild side effects that fade quickly,” says Dr.r Berthiaume.