DIY-HP-LED
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Health Canada recently authorized an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by Moderna, thattargets the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant circulating now. The federal government is sending the new vaccine out to the provinces and territories, which are in charge of rolling it out to the public.
"I think the timing is going to be good," said Dr. Jeffrey Pernica, head of the division of infectious disease at McMaster University in Hamilton.
"The incidence of COVID-19 has started to creep back up."
WHAT ABOUT THE FLU AND RSV?
In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine, flu shots will be available across the country this fall.
Like the updated COVID shot, the flu vaccine is formulated to be the best possible match for the strains of the virus that are expected to be circulating. Even though some people may still get the flu if they're vaccinated, it still protects against severe illness, doctors say.
It is safe to get both the COVID-19 booster and the flu shot at the same time, the Public Health Agency of Canada said.
Getting both vaccines won't affect their immunological effectiveness, Rasmussen said, noting that health-care providers may give one shot in each arm just to minimize soreness.
Health officials are hoping that the convenience of getting the two shots at the same time will increase uptake of both vaccines.
"I think what we sort of leave out when we think about why people don't get vaccinated is logistics," said Dr. Kumanan Wilson, chief scientific officer at the Bruyere Research Institute in Ottawa and an immunization researcher. "Make access as easy as possible."
Health-care professionals are hoping to avoid the "tripledemic" that overwhelmed hospitals and doctor's offices last fall.
However, there is currently no RSV vaccine available for children, who were hit hard by the virus last year. There is a new RSV vaccine called Arexvy, manufactured by GSK, available this year for adults 60 years of age and older. But it's not yet clear how widely available that will be.
WHEN CAN I GET THE SHOTS?
The exact timing varies between the provinces and territories, but both the flu shot and the updated COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be available in most of the country sometime in October.
Some provinces and territories,including Ontario, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories, are first vaccinating high-risk populations, including seniors living in long-term care and retirement homes, before making the COVID and flu shots available to the general public.
Doctors and scientists agree that it's especially critical that vulnerable populations like these are prioritized for vaccination.
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