Some Quebecers who were reluctant to receive a booster dose against COVID-19 may now be tempted to have it administered, while Moderna’s new vaccine, more effective against the Omicron strain (BA.1) and its sub -variants BA.4 and BA.5, will be accessible in the province from Wednesday.
Sources tell the To have to that the national director of public health, Dr.r Luc Boileau, must confirm the news and provide an update on the subject on Wednesday.
Jean-Yves Duclos, Federal Minister of Health, announced the arrival of 780,000 doses in the country last week. In all, 10.5 million doses are expected by Ottawa by the end of September, and Health Canada expects the supply to be enough to update the vaccinations of all Canadians aged 18 and over.
Authorized by Health Canada on 1er September, this new vaccine is said to be “bivalent”, since it targets both “the original SARS CoV 2 virus of 2019 and the Omicron variant (BA.1)”, indicates Health Canada in a press release.
“This vaccine should take over, compared to the others, in the coming weeks”, maintains Alain Lamarre, expert in virology at the National Institute for Scientific Research (INRS).
He indicates that this vaccine “produces a higher quantity of antibodies” against the Omicron strain than other vaccines approved in the country, but he nevertheless encourages Quebeckers to receive a booster dose, regardless of the vaccine, as soon as they are eligible.
Towards periodic doses of vaccines?
“This vaccine may represent an advantage in that it offers increased protection, but it is not yet clear to what extent”, specifies Alain Lamarre. He adds that if he were to receive a booster dose, he would “wait a few days” to be sure to receive this vaccine from Moderna, but “that beyond that, it is better to get vaccinated as soon as possible , regardless of the vaccine.”
Recall that at the end of July, Quebec public health had recommended receiving a new dose of vaccine against COVID-19 “five months after the last dose received” for the fall of 2022, and this, before the arrival of the vaccine. bivalent from Moderna.
“We are moving more and more towards doses of periodic vaccines, such as the flu, without targeting a necessary number of doses”, estimates Alain Lamarre. He adds that the recommended periods between booster doses “could be extended eventually”, but that “COVID is not predictable, and we must remain cautious”.
Doses of a similar Pfizer vaccine, currently being evaluated by Health Canada, may also arrive once the green light is given.
With The Canadian Press