Canada on Friday authorised updated COVID-19 booster shots from Pfizer Inc and its partner BioNTech SE that target the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, according to the government’s website.
Pfizer and BioNTech said in a joint statement the companies will make “significant volumes of the vaccine available in the coming days”.
The booster shot, which has been authorised for people 12 years and older, is the second to get clearance from Health Canada after Moderna Inc’s modified booster last month.
Moderna’s vaccine booster was cleared for use in adults.
The so-called bivalent vaccines target both the original variant as well as the two Omicron subvariants.
Pfizer, which is seeking approval from U.S. and European health regulators for use of its Omicron-tailored shot in children 5 through 11 years of age, said it was planning a submission to Health Canada for the same age group.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorised updated COVID-19 booster shots from both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNtech in August.
Regulators in the European Union and Japan have also cleared Pfizer’s updated booster shot.
