Here's what you need to know about the new COVID vaccines

The federal government is gearing up for the introduction of new COVID-19 vaccines this fall, though as autumn approaches, health officials have yet to approve it.

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As of the end of August, Health Canada was still actively reviewing submissions from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna to update the current COVID-19 vaccine composition, said Mark Johnson, a spokesperson for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

“These submissions are being reviewed on a priority basis by a dedicated scientific team,” Johnson told CTVNews.ca in an email.

He explained the authorization process depends on multiple factors including submission date, review timelines, officials’ approval and the manufacturer’s vaccine supply.

Since the approval process is ongoing, Johnson could not confirm how much it would cost to produce and distribute the new vaccine nor the amount of doses Canada will receive.

WHAT MAKES THIS NEW VACCINE DIFFERENT?

Although previous vaccines provide protection against a range of COVID-19 variants, like the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine, this new version, if approved, will be targeting the most recent virus’ variants which have been causing a spike in hospitalizations across the country.

“Having a vaccine that matches what's circulating in the population offers better chances of having the best primed immune response to anticipate what's out there,” said Shehzad Iqbal, country medical director at Moderna Canada.

The new vaccines will target the most recent COVID-19 variant, XBB.1.5 Omicron and its sub-lineages including the EG.5.1 and FL.1.5.1, which are closely related.

On Sept. 6, Moderna announced its updated vaccine will likely be effective against the BA.2.86 subvariant, citing clinical trial data that showed an 8.7-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies in people against BA.2.86.

Pfizer, meanwhile, said their team of experts is “prepared to develop variant-modified vaccine templates, should the need arise and as the data and regulatory agencies dictate.

In the last three-and-a-half years since the pandemic began, the COVID-19 virus has mutated so much its original form is now considered an “ancestral virus,” said Dawn Bowdish, Canada Research Chair in Aging and Immunity and professor at McMaster University.

“That virus is now extinct. So, there’s really no point to being vaccinated against that anymore,” she told CTVNews.ca on Thursday.

Previous COVID-19 vaccines, explained Bowdish, had a combination between the original virus and Omicron variants.

“The reason for that is we weren't really sure if we still needed more protection against the original, but like I said, it is now extinct,” she said.

FLU VS. COVID-19 SHOTS

In Canada, only 5.7 per cent of people got a COVID-19 booster shot in the first six months of this year.

“People are tired of COVID, I appreciate that,” said Iqbal.

“At the end of the day, though, nature doesn't work that way. Nature continues to evolve and so complacency isn't something that we want to entertain.”

Country Medical Director of Moderna Canada, Shehzad Iqbal, poses for the camera. (Submitted)

With the transition to a post-pandemic era, many people likely hoped COVID-19 would be treated as the flu—with one annual shot—or measles—with one vaccination as a child—and you’re effectively protected; but that’s not the case, explained Bowdish.

Flu season lasts only six months. “So, you get vaccinated at the start of flu season and you're protected,” said Bowdish.

On the other hand, she added, COVID-19 “seems to come in multiple waves with these different variants multiple times per year,” which means people might need updated vaccines to be protected against circulating variants.

“I'll never be done getting my flu shots and I'm unlikely to ever be done getting my COVID shots,” Bowdish said.

WHEN WILL IT BE AVAILABLE?

If approved, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends a dose of the new vaccine beginning this fall for authorized age groups at least six months after their most recent COVID-19 vaccine or known SARS-CoV-2 infection, whichever is later.

Johnson wrote it is still “too early” to tell when the new vaccines will be distributed given that Health Canada is still reviewing the submissions.

If approved, Johnson added, the federal government is prepared to launch a national campaign sharing crucial information on personal well-being, including vaccination guidance. The goal is to “alleviate the overall burden of the respiratory illness season on our health-care systems,” Johnson said.

The newly formulated vaccine is also currently under review by health authorities around the world, including the U.S. and Europe, a spokesperson for Pfizer told CTVNews.ca in an email on Thursday.