Health Canada on Thursday authorized an adapted version of the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine that targets the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 subvariants, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
Health Canada approved the bivalent vaccine for use as a booster dose in individuals 18 years of age or older, saying that clinical trial results showed it triggers a strong immune response against both Omicron (BA.4/BA.5) and the original SARS-CoV-2 virus strains.
This adapted vaccine has a similar safety profile to the previously approved Moderna Spikevax boosters, with the same mild adverse reactions that resolved quickly, Health Canada said.
Keeping COVID-19 vaccinations up-to-date, including getting booster doses as recommended, will help protect an individual against serious illness and other complications of COVID-19 infection, Health Canada said.
The number of total COVID-19 cases and deaths in Canada reached 4,336,860 and 46,389 respectively, according to the weekly update issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) last week.