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
House Speaker Anthony Rota apologizes after inviting man who fought for Nazis to Parliament
Several Jewish advocacy organizations condemned members of Parliament on Sunday for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
Toronto woman hospitalized with botulism
A Toronto woman has been hospitalized in France with a severe case of botulism after eating improperly preserved sardines at a Bordeaux wine bar.
Man hospitalized in life-threatening condition after incident at Calgary pub holding eating contest
Calgary paramedics took a man to hospital in life-threatening condition on Saturday after an incident at the Ship and Anchor pub.
A year after Fiona, a traumatized Newfoundland town backs away from the sea
One year after a wave driven by post-tropical storm Fiona slammed into the back of her house and twisted it like a corkscrew, some residents of Port aux Basques, N.L., are backing away from the sea.
It’s here! Rare asteroid sample lands on Earth after OSIRIS-REx drops cargo
Seven years after OSIRIS-REx was sent into space to retrieve a sample of an asteroid, the NASA-led spacecraft has delivered its cargo into Earth’s orbit, and Canada is set to receive a piece.
Canadian autoworkers ratify deal with Ford Motor Company
Five days after reaching a tentative deal, Unifor members voted this weekend and have narrowly ratified a new three-year collective agreement with the Ford Motor Company.
Key to mending broken labour relations is fixing inflation, RBC economists say
High inflation is driving workers to take labour action and press for wage increases, according to a new report by Canada's largest bank that says more turbulence could be on the way for Canadian labour relations
'Milestone' OLG lottery jackpot to be drawn this week
A lucky lottery player will be the winner of a record-breaking multi-million dollar prize on Wednesday.
U.S. woman arrested after 55 dogs removed from animal rescue home, 5 dead puppies found in freezer
A Chandler woman who ran an animal rescue out of her now-condemned home has been arrested after dozens of abused dogs were discovered and five dead puppies found in a freezer, according to police.
Canada
-
A year after Fiona, a traumatized Newfoundland town backs away from the sea
One year after a wave driven by post-tropical storm Fiona slammed into the back of her house and twisted it like a corkscrew, some residents of Port aux Basques, N.L., are backing away from the sea.
-
Memorial service honours fallen police officers days after RCMP officer slain in B.C.
Police officers from across the country gathered in Ottawa Sunday for a somber occasion. The last Sunday in September is the National Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Day, where those who died in the line of duty in the past year are remembered.
-
House Speaker Anthony Rota apologizes after inviting man who fought for Nazis to Parliament
Several Jewish advocacy organizations condemned members of Parliament on Sunday for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
-
First Nations in northern Ont. seek over $100B to honour treaty promise
A legal battle playing out in a northern Ontario courtroom this month has seen an alliance of First Nations argue they are owed upwards of $100 billion for the Crown's failure to honour a 173-year-old treaty promise, while the federal and provincial governments claim they are either owed far less, or nothing at all.
-
Man hospitalized in life-threatening condition after incident at Calgary pub holding eating contest
Calgary paramedics took a man to hospital in life-threatening condition on Saturday after an incident at the Ship and Anchor pub.
-
Passengers stuck upside down on Canada’s Wonderland ride
Passengers on a ride at Canada’s Wonderland were stuck upside down for almost 30 minutes on Saturday night.
World
-
First refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh arrive in Armenia following Azerbaijan's military offensive
The first refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh have arrived in Armenia, local officials reported Sunday, and more were expected to come after a 10-month blockade and a lightning military offensive this month that resulted in Azerbaijan reclaiming full control of the breakaway region.
-
All students injured in New York bus crash are expected to recover, superintendent says
All the high school students who were injured in an upstate New York charter bus crash on the way to a band camp are expected to recover, according to their school superintendent.
-
President Macron says France will end its military presence in Niger and pull ambassador after coup
President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.
-
Migrants hoping to reach U.S. continue north through Mexico by train amid historic migration levels
Thousands of other migrants were stranded in other parts of the country last week after Mexico's biggest railroad said it halted 60 freight trains. The company, Ferromex, said so many migrants hoping to get to the U.S. were hitching rides on the trains that it became unsafe to move the trains.
-
U.S. woman arrested after 55 dogs removed from animal rescue home, 5 dead puppies found in freezer
A Chandler woman who ran an animal rescue out of her now-condemned home has been arrested after dozens of abused dogs were discovered and five dead puppies found in a freezer, according to police.
-
Kosovar police surround a village after gunmen storm a monastery in violence that has killed 4
At least 30 gunmen killed a Kosovar Albanian police officer then stormed an Orthodox monastery in Kosovo near its border with Serbia, setting off gunbattles that left three assailants dead and raised tensions between the two former wartime foes as they seek to normalize ties.
Politics
-
Sikh groups ask Canadian political parties to present 'united front' against India
Two groups in the Canadian Sikh diaspora are calling for Canada's political parties to "present a united front" on India after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a "potential link" between the shooting death of a local leader and the Indian government.
-
EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE 'Shared intelligence' from Five Eyes informed Trudeau's India allegation: U.S. ambassador
There was 'shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners' that informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's public allegation of a potential link between the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen, United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen confirmed to CTV News.
-
Canada's international student program faced with 'integrity challenges,' senators say in push for reform
A group of Canadian senators is proposing a series of reforms to the country's international student program that include ways of protecting newcomers from fraud and abuse, as well as greater regulations and penalties for recruiters and educational institutions.
Health
-
Toronto woman hospitalized with botulism
A Toronto woman has been hospitalized in France with a severe case of botulism after eating improperly preserved sardines at a Bordeaux wine bar.
-
Biden has gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine and the annual flu shot, the White House says
U.S. President Joe Biden has gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine and annual flu shot, the White House said Saturday.
-
5M Canadians experienced a mental health disorder in 2022: StatCan
More than five million Canadians experienced some form of mental health disorder in 2022, a new Statistics Canada study has revealed.
Sci-Tech
-
It’s here! Rare asteroid sample lands on Earth after OSIRIS-REx drops cargo
Seven years after OSIRIS-REx was sent into space to retrieve a sample of an asteroid, the NASA-led spacecraft has delivered its cargo into Earth’s orbit, and Canada is set to receive a piece.
-
Archeologists unearth the largest cemetery ever discovered in Gaza and find rare lead sarcophogi
Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip have found dozens of ancient graves, including two sarcophagi made of lead, in a Roman-era cemetery -- a site dating back some 2,000 years that archeologists describe as the largest cemetery discovered in Gaza.
-
The threat of wildfires is rising. So are new artificial intelligence solutions to fight them
Wildfires fuelled by climate change have ravaged communities from Maui to the Mediterranean this summer, killing many people, exhausting firefighters and fuelling demand for new solutions. Enter artificial intelligence.
Entertainment
-
Taylor Swift turns out to see Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs play Chicago Bears
Travis Kelce put the ball in Taylor Swift's court, and she wound up bringing it to Arrowhead Stadium after all. Call it what you want. It's out of the woods now.
-
Usher to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas
Usher has a new confession: The Grammy winner will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in Las Vegas.
-
'Spirit of MuchMusic' still alive at doc premiere with former VJs in attendance
While the party died years ago at MuchMusic's broadcast centre on the corner of Queen and John streets in Toronto, the screening of a new documentary on Friday proved nostalgia for the nation's music station is still very much alive.
Business
-
Canadian autoworkers ratify deal with Ford Motor Company
Five days after reaching a tentative deal, Unifor members voted this weekend and have narrowly ratified a new three-year collective agreement with the Ford Motor Company.
-
Moneris says systems back online after users across Canada report outages affecting debit, credit payments
The payment processing company Moneris says it has resolved an outage that appeared to affect debit and credit transactions across the country.
-
Ford offers Unifor wage increases up to 25 per cent
Ford Motor has offered Canadian union Unifor wage increases of up to 25 per cent in its tentative agreement, the union said on Saturday. The agreement provides a 10 per cent wage increase for the first year followed by increases of two per cent and three per cent through the second and third year and a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus to all employees on the active roll of the company, Unifor said.
Lifestyle
-
'Milestone' OLG lottery jackpot to be drawn this week
A lucky lottery player will be the winner of a record-breaking multi-million dollar prize on Wednesday.
-
Sask. sisters' sanctuary gives ponies and donkeys with special needs a second chance at life
A sanctuary just outside of Estevan is giving some of Saskatchewan’s smallest equines with special needs the opportunity for a forever home.
-
First Bob Ross TV painting, completed in a half an hour, goes on sale for nearly US$10 million
A Minneapolis gallery is asking US$10 million for 'A Walk in the Woods,' the first of more than 400 paintings that Bob Ross produced on-air for his TV series 'The Joy of Painting.'
Sports
-
Former Manitoba Moose forward Nicolas Kerdiles killed in Nashville motorcycle crash
Former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles died Saturday after a motorcycle crash in Nashville, according to police. He was 29.
-
Canadian women's volleyball team beats Mexico but fails to clinch Olympic spot
Canada's women's volleyball team scored a 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-17) win over Mexico on Saturday, but fell short in its bid to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
-
Canadian Premier League revamps trophy case with new hardware up for grabs
A new trophy, the Canadian Premier League Shield, will be presented to the regular-season winner. And the North Star Cup will replace the North Star Shield, which was previously awarded to the CPL's playoff champion from 2019 to 2022.
Autos
-
Ford offers Unifor wage increases up to 25 per cent
Ford Motor has offered Canadian union Unifor wage increases of up to 25 per cent in its tentative agreement, the union said on Saturday. The agreement provides a 10 per cent wage increase for the first year followed by increases of two per cent and three per cent through the second and third year and a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus to all employees on the active roll of the company, Unifor said.
-
Autoworkers still have room to expand their strike against carmakers. But they also face risks
Even after escalating its strike against Detroit automakers on Friday, the United Auto Workers union still has plenty of leverage in its effort to force the companies to agree to significant increases in pay and benefits.
-
U.S. autoworkers expand their strike to 38 locations in 20 states. Biden plans visit to show support
The United Auto Workers union expanded its strike against major carmakers Friday, walking out of all 38 parts-distribution centres operated by General Motors and Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis in 20 states but sparing Ford from further shutdowns.
