Health Canada has authorized a new Moderna vaccine for anyone six months of age and older, which targets a new Omicron subvariant which is on the rise globally. The Public Health Agency is also reviewing submissions from Pfizer-BioNTech and Norovax for new COVID-19 vaccines.

Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, says Moderna’s vaccine is effective against the new Omicron sub-variants which have spread across the globe. She states that all of the vaccines used in Canada are very effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID, and they all have rigorous review before being accepted.

If it has been six months since your last dose, or from when you tested positive for COVID, getting a shot with the new formulation is recommended to provide better protection against variants of concern. Canada now has 11 cases of the newest Omicron sub-variant. Tam encourages Canadians to take action to stay safe this respiratory virus season and suggests getting both a COVID and a flu shot at the same time. They will help to keep people from getting seriously ill and by extension, reduce the burden on our health systems.