The Public Well being Company of Canada says it isn’t offering Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine this respiratory virus season, citing low demand.
It says the producer requires a minimal order of its up to date protein-based vaccine, referred to as Nuvaxovid, which far exceeds the uptake by Canadians final yr.
The company says a really small portion of the doses ordered in 2023 have been used and that its choice displays efforts to restrict vaccine wastage.
It’s distributing two mRNA vaccines — made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna — which can be authorized for adults and kids six months and older.
Each COVID-19 vaccines have been reformulated to focus on the just lately circulating KP.2 subvariant of Omicron.
Novavax’s vaccine, which was authorized by Well being Canada final month for adults and kids 12 years and older, has been touted as an alternative choice to the mRNA vaccines.
The general public well being company says provinces and territories have the choice of ordering the vaccine — which has been up to date to focus on the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron — instantly from the corporate.
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As of Tuesday afternoon, a number of provinces – together with Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador – confirmed to The Canadian Press that they aren’t putting orders for Nuvaxovid.
The Public Well being Company of Canada mentioned in an electronic mail that its contract with Novavax “only provides access to domestically manufactured vaccines, which Novavax has been unable to confirm for the 2024/25 season.”
The minimal order requirement was primarily based on shopping for Novavax vaccines that have been “internationally produced,” it mentioned.
“Demand for Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine in Canada has been very low in previous years,” the general public well being company mentioned. “In 2023, 125,000 doses of the Novavax XBB.1.5 vaccine were ordered and available in Canada, of which only 5,529 doses were administered.”
In emails to The Canadian Press, Novavax confirmed that it produced its up to date vaccine outdoors of Canada.
It mentioned the corporate “significantly depends on its supply agreement with Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd,” however wouldn’t elaborate additional.
—With recordsdata from Hannah Alberga in Toronto.
