How the technology used to make COVID-19 vaccines could improve flu shots - CBC.ca

The Dose21:56What's the latest in flu vaccines?

Some experts fear this year's flu season will be severe - especially with the pandemic still raging in many parts of Canada. Dr. Brian Goldman speaks with Dr. Susy Hota, Medical Director for Infection Prevention and Control at University Health Network in Toronto, about the latest developments in flu vaccines. 21:56

With flu season fast approaching, people who haven't been vaccinated against COVID-19 or qualify for a third dose can safely get shots to protect them against both illnesses in the same visit, say health experts.

They anticipate that in the future, by applying the latest advances in mRNA technology, it may be possible to vaccinate a person against COVID-19 and the seasonal flu with a single vaccine. 

That's because vaccine developers have been working on developing influenza vaccines using mRNA technology, the kind used in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, since before the pandemic, said Susy Hota, medical director of infection prevention and control at the University Health Network in Toronto. 

Several are already at the clinical trial stage.

No COVID-19 and flu combo vaccine is that far along. 

Hota says it would be incredibly convenient to leverage mRNA technology to better protect people against the flu.  

"What the future may hold is having one single, combined vaccine that addresses multiple infections that circulate at the same time. So that could be COVID 19 and influenza," she told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC Radio's The Dose podcast.

"We're not there yet. But wouldn't that be nice, coming in for your one respiratory virus injection that will cover you for that season?" 

People get flu shots in Calgary last October. The vaccinations are available at pharmacies and primary care offices. (Leah Hennel/Alberta Health Services)

Flu viruses mutate frequently as they circulate around the world, Hota said. By the time scientists see what strains are taking off in the Southern Hemisphere and predict what to put in flu vaccines for people in the Northern Hemisphere, there could be mismatches.

On average, flu vaccines are about 40 to 60 per cent effective in protecting you from infection, Hota said. 

Since people infected with flu are at higher risk for having heart attacks and other cardiac problems than the general population, flu vaccinations save lives, she said.

"If we were to see too many COVID-19 and influenza patients coming to our hospitals, that could paralyze the system," she said.

Speed is of the essence to beat flu

Vaccine makers are trying to catch up with the mutating virus so that what's in their vials better matches the flu strains we might encounter from others who are coughing or perhaps talking a bit too close. 

That's where mRNA technology comes in. Experts say perhaps they could observe flu activity worldwide for a longer period and then take advantage of the speed of mRNA vaccine manufacturing to add circulating flu strains to vaccines in time to better protect the public.

Dr. Susy Hota says getting two jabs at the same time to protect against COVID-19 and the flu is well worth it. (Craig Chivers/CBC)

Scott Halperin, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist and professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, leads clinical trials for influenza and other vaccines at the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology in Halifax.

He says mRNA technology could likely accelerate the manufacturing of flu vaccines compared with the time-consuming approach of growing the virus in chicken eggs that's used today.

At least three companies say they're starting Phase 1 human safety trials of mRNA flu-only vaccines to check if the side-effects mirror those from conventional flu vaccines, such as a sore arm or fever. 

To eventually combine COVID-19 and flu protection in one jab, researchers first need to test that mRNA technology can be applied safely and effectively to influenza viruses. 

New technology brings better immunity

Moderna and Pfizer's mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 include the genetic instructions to make a modified spike protein from the virus. Once the vaccine is injected into the body, human cells use the instructions to make copies of the spike protein for the immune system to learn to recognize.

WATCH | Flu shots recommended amid COVID's 4th wave:

Doctors urging flu shots to prevent further health-care strain

10 days ago

Canadians are being urged to get flu shots as soon as possible because doctors expect the flu season to be much worse than last year, when there were very few cases. They want to avoid further strain on the health-care system already struggling with COVID-19. 3:30

For the three mRNA seasonal influenza vaccines in clinical trials now, companies need to show that combining flu strains this way doesn't lessen the effectiveness of the immune response before regulators like Health Canada consider approval.

Alyson Kelvin, a scientist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan, has spent years studying different influenza vaccines and also works on COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

"It seems that we do have this nice, broader immunity from mRNA vaccine technology," Kelvin said. "Could you somehow target more than one influenza strain at once?"

Even if the answer is yes, Kelvin said, it's a leap to go from using one spike protein from SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, to also covering four circulating influenza virus strains, as the current flu shots do, with a single shot.

"It's exciting, but I think that we need to really complete the investigation," Kelvin said. The all-in-one flu and COVID-19 vaccination studies haven't reached clinical trials in humans, which normally take years to complete.

Researchers recognize that better strategies are needed to vaccinate against flu to achieve more protective responses, she said. 

Until then, public health officials hope people will continue wearing masks where necessary and washing their hands to protect against all of the pathogens that sicken people of all ages during respiratory virus season.

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COVID-19: NHS to visit hundreds of schools to offer coronavirus vaccine to 12-15-year-olds to 'help keep children in the classroom' - News AKMI

Thousands of under-15s will be offered the COVID-19 jab at school, with NHS teams visiting more than 800 schools.

Health teams are set to visit schools across England in the next week, with pupils returning to school from half-term.

Jabs will be offered to unvaccinated 12-15-year-olds and students will be able to get the coronavirus vaccines at school, NHS England said.

Children can also make an appointment to visit a vaccine centre using the booking system.

More than 600,000 young people have been vaccinated since the jab rollout was extended to include 12-15-year-olds at the end of September, NHS England said.

Some 163,00 people in the age group took the jab in the week the booking system opened up for them on 22 October.

A further 140,000 have booked their jab for the next few weeks.

The government is making a push to get as many people vaccinated before the winter months set in.

Speaking from the G20 summit in Rome, Boris Johnson said that he does not anticipate another lockdown but urged over-50s to take the booster jab amid rising cases in England.

On 29 October, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) said the high number of cases in schools where only some are vaccinated “provide the ideal conditions” for a new variant to emerge.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “The vaccines are safe and will help keep children in the classroom – I encourage everyone to come forward for their jab to protect themselves and the people around them.”

Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and deputy lead for the NHS COVID-19 vaccine programme, said: “As our children return to the classroom, our efforts to vaccinate children will not stop – hundreds of more schools will be vaccinating this week.

“It’s really important that we continue with the same enthusiasm if we want to ensure children get to stay in the classroom with their fellow pupils this winter, and so I encourage all parents and guardians to head online and read the information on vaccinating your child, so you can make an informed decision.”

Pupils are also being urged to get tested for coronavirus before returning to school to minimise disruption to lessons and to ensure families can “enjoy the best” of the festive season.

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Push to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations in schools grows with approval for 5-11 year old kids expected by the end of the year - CTV Edmonton

OTTAWA -- While Canada is likely still several weeks away from rolling out a COVID-19 vaccine for kids between 5 and 11, there are growing calls already to add the COVID-19 shot to the list of mandatory immunizations in schools.

There is no firm date yet, but with a Health Canada review underway for a vaccine safe for children, it's expected they'll be rolling up their sleeves before the end of the year.

"We're at the state where most public health units are already well into planning for administering these vaccines," said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious diseases physician.

"This vaccine will help reduce transmission and viral loads in kids, big improvement and big step forward," added Dr. Ronald St.  John, former federal manager to the SARS response in Canada.

The Pfizer formula could get the green light as early as mid-November but experts say the uptake will be critical to a successful inoculation campaign of younger Canadians.

"There's probably about 25 per cent of people who will likely get vaccinated but still have questions or wanna see more time before they get vaccinated and then, of course, there's going to be people who choose to not get their kids vaccinated," said Dr. Bogoch.

With projections of a November authorization, there are calls already to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of mandatory immunizations in Ontario's schools.

In a letter to the province, the Ontario Public School Board's Association said, "We encourage the government to move forward on making this important change as soon as possible."

Locally, the Ottawa Carleton District School Board sent its own letter, making the same request. 

"For the past 18 months, the impact of COVID-19 has affected the safety and wellbeing of Ontario students and their families as well as their access to education, to devastating effect," said the letter from the OCDSB.

"I would suggest that we encourage people as much as possible to have their children vaccinated," said Dr. St. John.

"When we talk about mandates it's always a bit of a sticky issue, especially with paediatric vaccines. This will likely be on the list of mandated vaccines sometime in the future, it isn't this year," added Dr. Bogoch.

The province has said it won't make the vaccine mandatory yet, instead it will put the emphasis on education and accessibility.

In the capital, Ottawa Public Health continues to push for parents to get their kids immunized as soon as they're eligible.

In a statement to CTV News OPH said, "When we talk about mandates it's always a bit of a sticky issue especially with paediatric vaccines. This will likely be on the list of mandated vaccines sometime in the future, it isn't this year."

"With the FDA's acknowledgment that it's safe to use, I think we have to explain to people why that is. The safety profile of this reduced dose by Pfizer is very good," said Dr. St. John.

In the U.S., the Pfizer vaccine for kids has FDA authorization and is now waiting for the CDC to sign off. Its expected shots could be going into children's arms there as early as mid-next week.

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COVID-19 boosters: NACI updates who should qualify | CTV News - CTV Toronto

OTTAWA -- The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has expanded eligibility guidelines for booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines.

 

NACI's latest guidelines suggest provinces could offer boosters to Canadians who received two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen vaccine.

The evidence suggests those vaccines may offer waning immunity over time.

The committee also suggests a third shot is an option for people over 70 who could become severely ill from the disease, as well as people from First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities.

Finally, NACI said front-line health-care workers with a short interval between their first two doses may also be offered another vaccine.

"Emerging evidence suggests vaccine effectiveness against asymptomatic infection and mild COVID-19 disease may decrease over time," NACI wrote in its new guidance Friday.

 

 

"A booster dose could help restore and maintain protection against infection in certain populations."

NACI more strongly recommends boosters for adults living in long-term care homes and other congregate living situations and adults over the age of 80.

The committee continues to recommend boosters be given six months after the first two doses are received.

NACI found no evidence of widespread waning immunity against severe disease in the general population.

"We are seeing that two doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines continue to perform very well for the majority of people," said NACI chair Dr. Shelley Deeks in a statement Friday.

That means the general population isn't likely to need a booster any time soon, said Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam.

While NACI has recommended boosters for some groups, Tam said she doesn't expect Canada to change its definition of full vaccination to include a third dose.

"We have to consider the fact that many countries don't even have enough vaccine to complete the primary series," Tam said at a briefing Friday.

"We have to balance both the scientific facts, the recommendations … but also the reality of the vaccine supply and equity from a global perspective as well."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked about Canada's move toward booster shots when many countries are still struggling to vaccinate its citizens during his official visit to the Netherlands Friday.

There are enough vaccines in the country to ensure every Canadian can get a full slate of vaccines, and the government will continue to work on ensuring vaccine access around the globe as well, Trudeau said.

Some provinces are already moving ahead with plans to offer boosters to the general population.

British Columbia has promised anyone in the province wanting a booster shot of a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will have access to one by May 2022.

 

 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2021.

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US administers over 420 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines - ... - Thomson Reuters Foundation

Oct 30 (Reuters) - The United States has administered 420,657,683 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Saturday morning and distributed 518,701,225 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Those figures are up from the 419,020,753 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Oct. 29 out of 514,925,015 doses delivered.

The agency said 221,221,467 people had received at least one dose while 192,244,927 people were fully vaccinated as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Saturday.

The CDC tally includes two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech , as well as Johnson & Johnson's one-shot vaccine.

About 17.7 million people have received a booster dose of either Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine. Booster doses from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson were authorized by the U.S. health regulator on Oct. 20.

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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BC parents urged to register kids for COVID-19 vaccine as US green lights Pfizer - msnNOW

Provincial health officials are encouraging parents to get their children registered for a COVID-19 immunization, as one of the three major vaccines inches towards approval in Canada.

© AP Photo/Jae C. Hong Max Cuevas, 12, holds his mother's hand as he receives the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from nurse practitioner Nicole Noche at Families Together of Orange County in Tustin, Calif., Thursday, May 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

On Friday, the U.S. FDA granted emergency authorization for Pfizer's vaccine to be used for children aged five to 11.

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In Canada, the Pfizer vaccine has so far only earned approval for children ages 12 and up.

Read more: Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine authorized for children 5-11, U.S. FDA says

Health Canada is reviewing the company's application for its pediatric vaccine, but an approval isn't expected until at least mid-to-late November.

"It's critically important that they go methodically through their process, but we're getting ready to go," B.C. health Minister Adrian Dix said.

"I encourage parents to get their children registered so they'll be on the system and ready to go when the vaccine becomes available."

Dr. Birinder Narang, a Metro Vancouver family physician and clinical assistant professor at UBC, said the FDA's approval was a "great indicator" the shot was safe for children, pointing to the U.S. agency's strong track record on vaccine safety.

"What I tell parents is I have no reason, based on my training, to think that a vaccine would be more unsafe in the five to 11 population than in the 12 to 17 population -- we know that vaccines have been very safe for children," he told Global's Focus BC.

"What this whole process is about safety, tolerability, making sure it's the right dose and effective. Those are the questions that once we (in Canada) have that data and that recommendation we can say that more confidently."

COVID-19 vaccine for kids aged 5-11 still ‘weeks away’: Sharma

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Parents are still not able to actually book a vaccine appointment for children younger than 12, but can register them for when bookings open at the province's Get Vaccinated website.

Read more: COVID-19: Vaccine registration open for B.C. kids 5+ but no timeline on approval

Children under the age of 12 represent about half of the remaining pool of unvaccinated people in B.C.

Pfizer's pediatric vaccine is one-third of the strength of the dosage given to adults and teens, and in the U.S. will be given as a two-dose series, with the doses administerd three weeks apart.

--With files from Leslie Young and David Lao

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U.S. administers over 420 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC - Financial Post

Article content

The United States has administered 420,657,683 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Saturday morning and distributed 518,701,225 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Those figures are up from the 419,020,753 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Oct. 29 out of 514,925,015 doses delivered.

The agency said 221,221,467 people had received at least one dose while 192,244,927 people were fully vaccinated as of 6:00 a.m. ET on Saturday.

The CDC tally includes two-dose vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech , as well as Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine.

About 17.7 million people have received a booster dose of either Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. Booster doses from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson were authorized by the U.S. health regulator on Oct. 20.

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

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