‘Significant amount of COVID’ expected in the fall. Are new vaccines coming?

As the World Health Organization warns about a “worrying comeback” of COVID-19 amid a summer surge of infections, new vaccines may soon come to Canada this fall.

Health Canada told Global News it is reviewing submissions from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax for their updated COVID-19 shots targeting the most recent strains circulating and will approve them if they are deemed safe and effective.

“Health Canada will authorize the vaccines if, following a thorough and independent scientific review of the evidence, we determine that the vaccines meet safety, quality, and efficacy standards,” Nicholas Janveau, a spokesperson for the agency, said in an email Tuesday.

Starting in the fall of 2024, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) strongly recommends the most recently updated COVID-19 vaccines for previously vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe COVID-19 illness.

These include everyone aged 65 or older, long-term care home residents, pregnant people, those with underlying medical conditions and people from Indigenous communities.

“Receiving the most recently updated COVID-19 vaccine is expected to provide a better immune response against circulating COVID-19 strains compared to earlier vaccines and is especially important for those at increased risk for COVID-19 infection or severe COVID-19 illness,” Janveau said.

The latest Canadian wastewater data, as of Tuesday, shows a “moderate” viral activity level of COVID-19 in the country, but that could change in the coming months as schools reopen and the weather gets cooler, experts say.

“I think from what we’ve seen, we are expecting there’s going to be a significant amount of COVID in the fall and winter,” Allison