WHO recommends new COVID-19 shots should target only XBB variants
BENGALURU, India -
A World Health Organization (WHO) advisory group on Thursday recommended that this year's COVID-19 booster shots be updated to target one of the currently dominant XBB variants.
New formulations should aim to produce antibody responses to the XBB.1.5 or XBB.1.16 variants, the advisory group said, adding that other formulations or platforms that achieve neutralizing antibody responses against XBB lineages could also be considered.
The group suggested no longer including the original COVID-19 strain in future vaccines, based on data that the original virus no longer circulates in human beings and shots targeting the strain produce "undetectable or very low levels of neutralizing antibodies" against currently circulating variants.
COVID-19 vaccine makers like Pfizer/BioNtech, Moderna Inc and Novavax Inc are already developing versions of their respective vaccines targeting XBB.1.5 and other currently circulating strains.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is also set to hold a meeting of outside experts in June to discuss the strain compositions of COVID-19 shots for later this year; vaccine manufacturers will be expected to update their shots once the strains are selected.
The bivalent booster shots developed and distributed last year targeted two different strains - the Omicron variant as well as the original virus.
WHO's advisory group, which recommends if changes are needed to the composition of future COVID-19 shots, said currently approved vaccines should continue to be used in accordance with the agency's recommendations.
In late March, WHO had revised its COVID-19 vaccination recommendations and suggested healthy children and adolescents might not necessarily need a shot, but older and high-risk groups should get a booster between six and 12 months after their last vaccine.
The latest recommendations come about two weeks after WHO ended the global emergency status for COVID-19.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Homeowners brace for mortgage payment shock amid higher-for-longer rate outlook
From ultra-low interest rates that led to a huge spike in real estate demand to the speed with which interest rates shot up to levels not seen in a generation, it's been hard to keep up with the shifting landscape for mortgage holders.
McDonald's, Wendy's defeat lawsuit over size of burgers
McDonald's and Wendy's have defeated a lawsuit accusing them of deceiving hungry diners by exaggerating the size of their burgers.
New study shows where you fall on new internet addiction spectrum
Researchers have come up with categories for people who are addicted to the internet and for those who are at risk.
Trump seethes through the start of trial in New York lawsuit accusing him of lying about his wealth
Aggrieved and defiant, former U.S. president Donald Trump sat through hours of sometimes testy opening statements Monday in a fraud lawsuit that could cost him control of Trump Tower and other prized properties.
Diwali fireworks advisory issued despite warnings it might be discriminatory: emails
An Environment Canada advisory that singled out Diwali fireworks as a reason to prepare for poor air quality last October was issued despite multiple warnings from some staff about it being discriminatory.
Federal ministers still lack mandate letters, two months after majority shuffled
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to issue mandate letters for his cabinet ministers, two months after announcing an overhaul to his front bench.
Grizzly bear attacks rare, but a risk in wilderness, experts say after Banff deaths
Grizzly bear experts say fatal attacks are extremely rare, but it's always a risk when people venture into the wilderness.
Venus may be choked in toxic clouds, but lightning could be a rare sight there, new data suggests
We know the second planet from the Sun to be an inhospitable place, cloaked in thick, yellow clouds of sulfuric acid – but according to a new study, a hypothetical trip to Venus might not be full of thunder and lightning.
Before and after: Damage in wake of Canada's wildfires seen from space
Images captured by satellite show that the damage left in the wake of some of Canada's worst wildfires.
Canada
-
Grizzly bear attacks rare, but a risk in wilderness, experts say after Banff deaths
Grizzly bear experts say fatal attacks are extremely rare, but it's always a risk when people venture into the wilderness.
-
Diwali fireworks advisory issued despite warnings it might be discriminatory: emails
An Environment Canada advisory that singled out Diwali fireworks as a reason to prepare for poor air quality last October was issued despite multiple warnings from some staff about it being discriminatory.
-
Military withdraws final charge against Lt.-Gen. Steven Whelan
The Canadian military has withdrawn the one remaining conduct charge against Lt.-Gen. Steven Whelan, ending the court martial that was slated to run the rest of the week.
-
Couple and dog killed by bear at Banff National Park
Two people are dead after a bear attack in Alberta's Banff National Park.
-
Did the pandemic change the way we treat others? We want to hear from you
In a country known for its kindness, have Canadians started to change? Some say there's been a decline in the way we treat others since the pandemic. We want to hear your thoughts.
-
5 dead after single-vehicle crash near Swan River, Man.
Swan River RCMP are investigating a single-vehicle crash that killed five people in western Manitoba Saturday afternoon.
World
-
UN Security Council approves sending a Kenya-led force to Haiti to fight violent gangs
The UN Security Council voted Monday to send a multinational force to Haiti led by Kenya to help combat violent gangs in the troubled Caribbean country.
-
Kentucky man linked to Breonna Taylor case arrested on drug charges
A Kentucky man who was the target of a series of police drug raids that led to the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor in 2020 has been arrested in Louisville on several drug-related charges.
-
Malaysians urged not to panic-buy local rice after import prices for the staple rise substantially
Malaysia's government on Monday reassured the country there is sufficient rice in the market and urged people not to hoard locally produced rice after recent panic-buying led to empty shelves in supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide.
-
Bear attacks, injures woman in Montana west of Glacier park near Canadian border
A 73-year-old woman was hospitalized after she was attacked by a bear west of Glacier National Park and just south of the U.S. Canadian border over the weekend, Montana wildlife officials said Monday.
-
U.S. Attorney General Garland says in interview he'd resign if Biden asked him to take action on Trump
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview that aired Sunday that he would resign if asked by President Joe Biden to take action against Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. But he doesn't think he'll be put in that position.
-
Brazil's government starts expelling non-Indigenous people from two Indigenous territories in the Amazon
Brazil's government on Monday began removing non-Indigenous people from two Indigenous territories in a move that will affect thousands who live in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
Politics
-
What you need to know about the election of a new Speaker
On Tuesday, MPs will be electing a new Speaker of the House of Commons, in the wake of Anthony Rota's resignation. It will be a day for the Canadian political history books, as well as a day full of pomp and procedure. Here's what you need to know about the role, the contenders, and the process.
-
Federal ministers still lack mandate letters, two months after majority shuffled
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to issue mandate letters for his cabinet ministers, two months after announcing an overhaul to his front bench.
-
Top-secret national security data behind precedent-setting Canadian spy trial
The trial of Cameron Ortis, a former senior RCMP intelligence official accused of passing on top-secret national security data, is set to begin on Tuesday.
Health
-
U.S. health officials propose using a cheap antibiotic as a 'morning-after pill' against STDs
U.S. health officials plan to endorse a common antibiotic as a morning-after pill that gay and bisexual men can use to try to avoid some increasingly common sexually transmitted diseases.
-
Where can I get a COVID-19 rapid test? CTV News looks at the rules in each province and territory
As Canadians prepare for another respiratory virus season this fall and winter, some may be curious to know if what they have is a cold, flu or possibly COVID-19. With rapid antigen tests being one popular option, CTV News looks at how many are still in stock in Canada and where you can get one.
-
UN authorizes a second malaria vaccine. Experts warn it's not enough to stop the disease spreading
The World Health Organization authorized a second malaria vaccine on Monday, a decision that could offer countries a cheaper and a more readily available option than the world's first shot against the parasitic disease.
Sci-Tech
-
Sam Bankman-Fried must now convince a jury that the former crypto king was not a crook
For a while, Sam Bankman-Fried tried to convince politicians and the public that he was the next J.P. Morgan. Now, he has to convince a jury that he wasn't, in reality, the next Bernie Madoff.
-
Scientists have observed antimatter free-falling due to gravity for the first time
For the first time, an international team of scientists have directly observed that antimatter – the mysterious counterpart to ordinary matter – free-falls under gravity, answering a question which has been the subject of endless speculation among the scientific community.
-
Venus may be choked in toxic clouds, but lightning could be a rare sight there, new data suggests
We know the second planet from the Sun to be an inhospitable place, cloaked in thick, yellow clouds of sulfuric acid – but according to a new study, a hypothetical trip to Venus might not be full of thunder and lightning.
Entertainment
-
A second U.K. police force is looking into allegations of sexual offences committed by Russell Brand
A second British police force is looking into sexual offences allegedly committed by actor and comedian Russell Brand, British media reported Monday.
-
Beyonce, like Taylor, is heading to movie theaters with a new film
A documentary chronicling Beyonce's just-concluded 39-city Renaissance World Tour will premiere in North American theaters Dec. 1, AMC Theaters announced Monday.
-
Taylor Swift watches Travis Kelce's Chiefs take on the Jets at MetLife Stadium
Taylor Swift couldn't just shake off another chance to watch Travis Kelce on the football field. The 12-time Grammy Award winner arrived at MetLife Stadium about 40 minutes before kickoff Sunday night to watch Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs take on the New York Jets.
Business
-
Laurentian Bank appoints new CEO after computer mainframe outage
Following a major power outage last week, the effects of which are still being felt, Laurentian Bank has announced the departure of its president and chief executive officer, Rania Llewellyn, and its board chairman Michael Mueller.
-
Stock market today: Most of Wall Street slips as the bond market cranks up the pressure
Most stocks are drifting lower Monday as the constrictor of higher interest rates tightens its coils around Wall Street.
-
Disney, DeSantis legal fights ratchet up as company demands documents from Florida governor
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis asked that Disney's First Amendment lawsuit against him be tossed from federal court, and Disney demanded emails, texts and other communications from the governor's office in a separate state court lawsuit originally brought by DeSantis appointees of Walt Disney World's governing district.
Lifestyle
-
New study shows where you fall on new internet addiction spectrum
Researchers have come up with categories for people who are addicted to the internet and for those who are at risk.
-
Did the pandemic change the way we treat others? We want to hear from you
In a country known for its kindness, have Canadians started to change? Some say there's been a decline in the way we treat others since the pandemic. We want to hear your thoughts.
-
Sports
-
Raptors president Masai Ujiri on Knicks lawsuit: 'Go figure'
Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri is dismissive of a lawsuit brought against his team by the rival New York Knicks.
-
Francis Lee, former Manchester City and England striker, dies at 79
Francis Lee, the former Manchester City and England striker, has died. He was 79. Lee's death was announced on Monday by City, where he was also its chairman in the 1990s after retiring from playing soccer.
-
David Beckham reflects on highs and lows in documentary, calls it an 'emotional rollercoaster'
David Beckham delves back into the hateful treatment he received following his infamous 1998 World Cup red card - and its impact on him - in a new Netflix documentary series pegged to the 10th anniversary of his retirement.
Autos
-
Andretti Global clears first hurdle to join Formula One as an 11th team with FIA expansion approval
The FIA on Monday said Michael Andretti meets all required criteria to field a Formula One team, an important step toward expanding the F1 grid to 11 teams.
-
Unifor sets Oct. 9 deadline for contract talks with General Motors
Unifor has set a deadline for its contract talks with General Motors for 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 9.
-
From vehicle brakes to smart plugs: These were the major recalls in Canada this week
This week the government of Canada issued recalls and safety alerts for a series of vehicle components and consumer products. With dangers ranging from short circuit fire risks to electric shock hazards, here are some recalls the country has seen this week.
