COVID: Health Canada approves updated Moderna vaccine [Video]

TORONTO –

Doses of Moderna’s updated COVID-19 vaccine are expected to begin arriving in Canada “within days,” a spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada says, although availability will depend on the immunization rollout in each province and territory.

Health Canada announced Tuesday it had authorized Moderna’s latest COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.

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The mRNA vaccine, called Spikevax, has been reformulated to target the KP.2 subvariant of Omicron, it said.

The updated version replaces the previous formulation of the vaccine that was released last year, which targeted the XBB.1.5 subvariant of Omicron.

The timelines for when people can roll up their sleeves to get the new shot is up to the provinces and territories, Public Health Agency of Canada spokesperson Anna Maddison said in an email Tuesday.

“Canada has secured …