Close X
Saturday, October 5, 2024
ADVT 
National

PHAC explains reason for pulling COVID-19 vaccines before new ones approved

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Sep, 2024 12:05 PM
  • PHAC explains reason for pulling COVID-19 vaccines before new ones approved

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it asked provinces to get rid of existing COVID-19 vaccines to avoid confusion with new formulations that will have the same drug identification number. 

Health Canada says it is reviewing updated COVID-19 vaccines that essentially modify the current shot to target a more recent strain of the virus for an expected fall rollout.

That's opposed to waiting for an entirely new formulation that would carry a different number but take longer to develop from scratch and slow down the approval process. 

PHAC’s vice-president of infectious diseases and vaccination programs branch is explaining the plan after some pharmacists and doctors said it could leave gaps in vaccine access that could span weeks.

Dr. Donald Sheppard says this is the practice with other regularly updated vaccines, including those for influenza. 

Sheppard says we've entered a similarly routine phase for COVID-19 vaccinations, noting the past several shots have been updated versions of previous formulations.

The federal agency released a directive to provinces and territories last month to dispose of vaccine stocks that target the previously-dominant XBB.1.5 variant, before formulations targeting JN.1 or KP.2 are approved and distributed. 

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Joly says Canada bars any Canadian-made arms from reaching Gaza

Joly says Canada bars any Canadian-made arms from reaching Gaza
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Ottawa prohibits any Canadian-made weapons from reaching the Gaza Strip. Her comments come weeks after the U.S. announced plans to send Quebec-made ammunition to Israel.

Joly says Canada bars any Canadian-made arms from reaching Gaza

Woman asked to be taken to hospital before she died in cell, says police watchdog

Woman asked to be taken to hospital before she died in cell, says police watchdog
British Columbia's police watchdog says a woman who died of an overdose in an RCMP jail cell had asked to go to hospital twice. A report released by the Independent Investigations Office says the case continues to raise concerns about how intoxicated prisoners are housed in B.C., as police aren't trained medical personnel and jail cells aren't the best place for such people.

Woman asked to be taken to hospital before she died in cell, says police watchdog

2 assaulted in a Surrey park

2 assaulted in a Surrey park
Mounties are looking for witnesses after an assault of two men in a Surrey park that left one with life-threatening injuries. They say officers responded on Sunday around 12:40 A-M to a report of a disturbance and arrived to find two victims.

2 assaulted in a Surrey park

Woman charged in Surrey stabbing

Woman charged in Surrey stabbing
Mounties in Surrey say a woman has been charged in the weekend stabbing in the city. They say officers responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck around 2:15 A-M on Saturday, but arrived to find a woman suffering from stab wounds.

Woman charged in Surrey stabbing

B.C. files unexplained wealth order following Vancouver shooting investigation

B.C. files unexplained wealth order following Vancouver shooting investigation
British Columbia's Public Safety Ministry says it has filed an unexplained wealth order application in court following a 2023 shooting at a Vancouver home. As part of a criminal investigation, the ministry says a suspect's home was searched and police discovered an illegal cannabis-growing operation, ammunition and more than $1.4 million in cash. 

B.C. files unexplained wealth order following Vancouver shooting investigation

Weather aids B.C. fire fight amid evacuation order and alerts in southeast

Weather aids B.C. fire fight amid evacuation order and alerts in southeast
The BC Wildfire Service says rain, light winds and cooler temperatures are expected to decrease fire behaviour in the province this week, just as a newly discovered blaze in the East Kootenays prompts an evacuation order and alerts for more than 50 properties.

Weather aids B.C. fire fight amid evacuation order and alerts in southeast

PrevNext