Health Canada set to announce approval of Moderna vaccine for Omicron variant: sources

Health Canada will announce Thursday that it has approvedan updated COVID-19vaccine targeting the Omicron variant, sources tell Radio-Canada and CBC News.

Both Pfizer and rival Modernafiled applications for vaccine approval.

Sources, including onesenior government official,told both CBC News and Radio-Canada thatthe Moderna vaccine is the onereceivingapproval on Thursday.

The updated vaccine is a combinationof two strains, also known as "bivalent" shots, that targetboth the original coronavirusand the Omicron variant BA.1. While they do not directly target the dominant circulating Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, they areexpected to providesignificant and durableprotection against them according to Health Canada.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationauthorized its first update to COVID-19 vaccinesthat target BA.4 and BA.5; doses could roll out within days.

Canada expecting12 million doses

Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, and Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo will attend a morning technical briefing for media at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday.

That will be followed by a news conference with Health MinisterJean-Yves Duclosat 2 p.m. ET.

Modernaannounced last week that it will supply12 million doses of its COVID-19 shotadapted to target the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

A Health Canada spokesperson said on Aug. 22 that a decision on Moderna'svaccine wasexpected within weeks.

A spokesperson for Pfizer Canada told CBC News Wednesday that its submission to Health Canada for a BA.1-targeted bivalent vaccine is still under review and approval has not yet been granted.