Moderna to supply Canada with 12M doses of Omicron-targeted vaccine
Moderna says it will supply Canada with 12 million doses of its Omicron-targeted COVID-19 vaccine.
A supply deal signed last year between the company and the federal government allows for access to new vaccine adaptations. The agreement is dependent on Health Canada’s approval of Moderna’s Omicron booster.
“Canada has exercised its option to purchase an additional 4.5 million doses of an Omicron-containing bivalent vaccine booster candidate,” reads a release. “In addition to moving forward the scheduled delivery of 1.5 million doses of the bivalent vaccine candidate from 2023 to 2022.”
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Moderna and the federal government have also agreed to convert six million doses of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine to the bivalent shot.
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Moderna’s trial data showed that when given as a fourth dose, its variant-adapted booster raised antibodies by eight-fold against Omicron. Each dose of the booster shot will target both the original COVID-19 virus that was first detected in 2020 and the Omicron BA.1 variant that was first picked up in November 2021.
NACI has said the early data is looking good, saying “Moderna’s vaccine demonstrates superior antibody response against Omicron.”
Pfizer and Moderna both have Omicron-specific vaccines being reviewed by Health Canada and the boosters here are also expected to be approved and ready for arms sometime in the fall.
The United Kingdom approved the shot last week, becoming the first country in the world to authorize a shot that protects against two different variants.
