Provinces Instructed to Use Up COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Before New Doses Arrive
Provincial officials have stated that Health Canada has instructed them to dispose of last year’s COVID-19 vaccines as updated shots are pending approval.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) issued a directive at a meeting on July 25 instructing provinces to remove XBB COVID-19 vaccines targeted at the Omicron variant for public use, according to a spokesperson for Alberta’s health minister.
Health Canada mentioned that PHAC is working with provinces and territories on a transition plan to switch from the current vaccine supply to updated versions.
“The plan allows each province and territory flexibility to maintain access to the current supply until new vaccines are approved,” Health Canada stated in an email to The Epoch Times. “This involves a transition period leading to complete removal.”
Health ministry representatives from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Quebec confirmed that old-strain COVID-19 vaccines are no longer available to the public in their provinces.
“In anticipation of new COVID-19 vaccine formulations arriving this fall, PHAC directed the withdrawal of all Moderna Spikevax XBB.1.5 and Pfizer Comirnaty XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccines,” said a spokesperson from Saskatchewan’s health ministry.
Health facilities, pharmacies, and physician offices in Saskatchewan have disposed of their remaining vaccine stock as instructed by the end of August, the spokesperson added.
Alberta also ceased offering the vaccine to the public at the end of the previous month, according to the province’s spokesperson.
“COVID-19 vaccines with previous strains or formulations are no longer available in Alberta,” she emphasized.
Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Alberta have all stated that COVID vaccines will be reinstated once the new COVID-19 formulation receives Health Canada’s approval to target the current JN.1 or KP.2 strains of COVID.
The Epoch Times reached out to the health ministries in each province for vaccine status but did not receive responses from the remaining ministries before publication.
Health Canada noted that it is expediting the review of submissions from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax with the expectation of authorizing the vaccines in time for fall campaigns.
The federal immunization guide highlights that the effectiveness of previous vaccines was low against infection but higher against severe disease, with diminishing potency over time. It recommends vaccinations every six months for most individuals and suggests an eight-week wait for those who test positive for COVID-19 before getting vaccinated.
COVID in Canada
Current COVID-19 activity in Canada is high in six provinces and moderate in five, according to the government’s wastewater monitoring dashboard. Levels are rated as high in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador, and moderate in Yukon, Alberta, Quebec, and New Brunswick. Data is unavailable for Nunavut or the Northwest Territories.
The ratings may not fully represent the entire province. For example, testing in Ontario was concentrated in Toronto, with the city divided into four regions, two showing high levels and two moderate.
Similar testing was conducted in Vancouver, British Columbia, with results showing two regions with high levels and two with moderate levels.
Breakdown by province revealed that Nova Scotia had the highest percentage of positive tests at 22.9%, followed by Quebec at 21.2%, B.C. at 17.9%, Ontario at 15.9%, and Manitoba at 15.3% as of August 24.
