Newfoundland and Labrador to launch new booster vaccine next week | SaltWire

ST. JOHN’S, NL — Newfoundland and Labrador will begin administering Moderna’s new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine to select priority groups beginning September 21, but Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says the old vaccines are still valuable tools against serious diseases.

The province expects about 63,000 doses of the mRNA vaccine, approved by Health Canada last month, by the end of September.

They contain the code for the spike protein of both the new omicron variants and the original (ancestral) strain of the COVID-19 virus, hence the term bivalent.

“Even a booster shot with this ancestral strain still gives you really, really good protection against serious diseases,” Fitzgerald told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday, September 14.

The province has seen a significant drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths over the summer, but Fitzgerald said that’s likely to change as the weather cools and people spend more time indoors.

“As we know all too well, this creates the perfect environment for the spread of respiratory viruses,” she said.

“This cold and flu season will be our first without public health restrictions since the winter of 2019-20, and we expect both influenza and COVID-19 to circulate alongside other respiratory viruses.”

She encouraged anyone 20 weeks away from their last booster shot to get the available vaccine to mitigate an autumn/winter spike.

For kids ages 5-12, this shot will likely be their first refresher.

“We want everyone to get a refresher,” she said. “We know that this third dose in particular provides quite a protection against serious disease and protection against transmission for a short period of time.”

priority groups

The bivalent vaccine will also be available in regional health clinics and pharmacies. Pharmacists have been asked to fill appointment slots before requesting an allocation.

Although supplies remain limited, the eligibility criteria are:

• people over 65;

• seniors in long-term care and other community accommodation;

• Individuals aged 12 and over with an underlying medical condition that puts them at risk;

• adults in indigenous communities;

• Adults in racialized or marginalized communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19;

• Adults in shelters, nursing homes and correctional facilities.

Off-label use

The bivalent vaccine has been approved for people ages 18 and older, but the National Advisory Committee on Immunization has recommended off-label use for children ages 12 to 17 who are at increased risk of serious illness.

Fitzgerald said it’s not uncommon for products to be used off-label when their use and risk profile is well established.

“What we know about this vaccine is that it’s an mRNA vaccine, it’s the same as the vaccine that’s been out there all along. The only difference is the coding on the spike protein that is included in the vaccine. The technology itself, the type of vaccine … so it has been used before and in this age group and the dosage has been used in this age group before.”

It’s not yet entirely clear how much more effective the bivalent vaccine is, and the difference may not be huge. A pre-print study in August suggests about eight more serious cases have been prevented for every 1,000 infections.

The province’s flu vaccination program is expected to roll out next month.

More information is available online at https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/vaccine/gettheshot/.

Peter Jackson is a reporter with the Local Journalism Initiative, covering Indigenous affairs for The Telegram.