canadian vaccine :: Article Creator'I Would Still Receive Another Rather Than No Vaccine At All': Chronically Ill People Left With Little Choice
Christopher Leighton, a retired radiation oncologist in Ontario, is among the thousands of chronically ill individuals who would have preferred an alternative to the reformulated mRNA vaccines that will become available across the country this week.
Though the most recent formulation of Nuvaxovid, the brand name for the Novavax vaccine, was approved by Health Canada for those aged 12 years and up, the federal government says it has only purchased Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccines for the fall vaccination program.
"Because I have an underlying autoimmune condition, I've had a pretty intense immune reaction to certain vaccines, so I was interested in exploring Novavax as an option," Leighton says, adding that that one of the times he received an mRNA vaccine, he got a terrible fever and his arm swelled up "like a baseball" for about a week. He also experienced an exacerbation in his existing neuro-immune symptoms. "It worsened to the point where I needed to take prednisone to dampen it down."
Though Canada will be receiving up to 19 million doses of mRNA vaccines: "Canada's current contract with Novavax only provides access to domestically manufactured vaccines, which Novavax has been unable to confirm for the 2024/25 season," Health Canada spokesperson Nicholas Janveau told CBC.
More than three years after Ottawa announced that it had found a partner to make domestic COVID-19 vaccines, Novavax Inc. Has yet to produce any at the Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Montreal. The facility was built with nearly $130 million in federal funds and completed in the summer of 2021. Although it is unclear why the facility has yet to produce a vaccine, some experts speculate it has to do with Novavax's inability to gain a foothold to compete with the mRNA vaccines in the global market.
When Leighton reached out to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in late August to ask about Novavax's availability, he was told that the government would not be purchasing the vaccine internationally due to low demand, and that "individuals who are unable to receive an mRNA vaccine should speak with their health-care provider about treatment options, including… the use of Paxlovid to reduce the duration and severity of illness."
"I was looking forward to having a change, but obviously Paxlovid isn't the equivalent to a vaccine and preventing an infection should be the ultimate goal of a vaccine strategy." When Leighton shared the response from the PHAC on X, he says the reaction he received from others was "surprising."
A quick scroll through social media reveals that Leighton is far from the only one to express a preference for the Novavax vaccine. Many people, particularly those with autoimmune conditions and other forms of chronic illness, have anecdotally reported experiencing fewer side effects, among other reasons.
"Some people may feel more comfortable with it because Novavax is similar to other childhood vaccines," says Leighton, adding that misinformation about the mRNA vaccines have likely also contributed to the hesitation some people are feeling. "There's just more familiarity with that type of vaccine."
What is Novavax?
Research indicates that Novavax is as safe as the mRNA vaccines, though they are created using a different vaccine technology.
Novavax is a protein-based vaccine, which means that, like with many traditional vaccines, it contains a small amount of the protein that would be found on or inside the virus or pathogen. "It's just a piece of the virus training our immune system to fight off the whole virus when we see it," says Alyson Kelvin, virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan.
The mRNA vaccines on the other hand, contain the genetic code that is found inside of that protein. "Instead of growing the protein in a lab, we give the genetic code to our [bodies through the vaccine], that then use our own cells to produce that protein and train our immune systems."
Kelvin says that a drawback to protein-based vaccines is that they take much longer to develop than the mRNA vaccines.
The 2024 Novavax vaccine targets the JN.1 variant, the variant that was dominant earlier in the year, but currently makes up less than 3 per cent of new cases. JN.1 was also the "parent" variant to the newer KP.2 and KP.3 sub variants that the mRNA vaccines have been formulated against. The KP.3 variant now makes up nearly 60 per cent of cases.
"I think it's really important in the current vaccine landscape to give people a choice."
Despite its decreased prevalence, various posts on X claim that the JN.1-targeted Novavax could actually be more effective than vaccines catered to target newer strains. But according to Kelvin, "it could go either way. It could be more protective because there are cross-reactive antibodies that are elicited with the JN.1 vaccine, or it could be a mismatch," she says. "That's something that's really difficult to assess at this point. We just won't know until the vaccines have been distributed and we can do efficacy studies."
So far, a few studies have corroborated what some have shared anecdotally online – that Novavax seems to produce fewer of the already typically mild side effects, such as lower fever, fatigue and pain.
In either case, Kelvin says, people shouldn't be concerned with taking either as any side effects are generally very mild – so much so that some studies have shown that they can even be difficult to interpret.
Despite the questions that remain about how the two vaccine types will stack up against one another, Kelvin says, "I think it's really important in the current vaccine landscape to give people a choice."
Still nothing from domestic manufacturers
When asked why Novavax would not be procured by the federal government this fall, PHAC told Healthy Debate that "only 5,529 doses of Novavax were administered" in Canada last year.
PHAC added that "Novavax indicated that any new procurement of internationally produced doses for the JN.1 strain by the Government of Canada would require a minimum order which far exceeds previous or projected demand."
Leighton says that he suspects the low demand is likely in-part due to a lack of awareness. "I don't believe my public health unit was providing [Novavax] last year, and if they were, they didn't advertise it," he says. "The comment I've heard from a lot of people is that they didn't know where they could get it."
PHAC also told Healthy Debate that the "provinces and territories may choose to procure the vaccine directly from Novavax from supply produced in India for their fall vaccination campaigns."
But Leighton adds that "there's some irony in that there's supposedly a contract to produce Novavax in Canada that Health Canada is funding. But as far as we know, they have yet to ever produce a vaccine."
Although there may be select stock of Novavax available in Canada despite the federal government's decision, as of now it seems unlikely. As of Oct. 1, several provinces – including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. And Newfoundland and Labrador – confirmed to The Canadian Press that they will not place orders for the Novavax vaccine.
Leighton says it's important that everyone make their own decisions based on consultations with their health-care provider. "I feel for me it's an educated guess and there's no assurance my reaction would be milder [with Novavax]. It's more of a hope," he adds, "I've had around six [mRNA vaccines] at this point, and even with my history of dreadful immune responses to those, I would still receive another rather than no vaccine at all."
TPH Confirms There Will Be No Flu Shot Clinics This Year. Here's Where To Go Instead
Toronto Public Health says it will not be administering flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines directly to the general public.
In a release issued on Thursday, the health service said that – due to provincial funding ending for mass immunization clinics last year – it will focus on providing vaccines to children under the age of four and younger as well as Torontonians who live in select high-risk settings.
As of December 2023, the City of Toronto permanently shuttered its four fixed-site COVID-19 vaccine centres, which provided a range of vaccines including routine immunizations for children.
As cooler weather breezes in, TPH is urging residents to get their vaccines against respiratory infections, adding that updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines will be available as of Oct. 28 to everyone over six months old who live, work or go to school in the province.
The initial doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine – which targets the KP.2 subvariant of Omicron – is also currently available for eligible Torontonians who are at a higher risk, including those who are 65 years old or older, children between the age of six months to four years, pregnant individuals, and residents at long-term care homes. To book an appointment, and confirm their eligibilty, Ontarians can head to the health ministry's webpage.
Publicly-funded vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also not currently being provided by pharmacies, TPH says, adding those who are at least 60 years old can speak to their healthcare providers if they wish to get it (at a cost).
Ontario's health ministry introduced a new RSV prevention program for high-risk children and infants, offering pregnant residents (who are 32 to 36 weeks along) the vaccine through their pretnatal care provider. Infants born this year and next, and high-risk children who are no older than 24 months, can receive a monoclonal antibody treatment for immediate RSV protection – which TPH says is available at birthing centres, hospitals, specialty clinics and primary care providers.
Though mass immunization clinics are no longer offered, there are still walk-in clinics, participating pharmacies and primary healthcare providers that provide flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines.
"Primary health care providers and pharmacies are essential partners in delivering vaccinations, especially during the respiratory illness season. Their accessibility, community trust and expertise make them vital collaborators in achieving widespread vaccine coverage for public health protection," a spokesperson for TPH told CTV News Toronto in a statement.
Torontonians can book their eligible children for their vaccines through TPH's online booking portal.
Children under the age of two cannot get a flu shot at a pharmacy, however.
For those who are at least 65, there are three different flu vaccines available to them this season: a standard dose that protects against four strains of the virus, an adjuvanted vaccine that protects against three strains and contains a substance that helps the recipient develop an improved immune response to the virus, and a high-dose vaccine, which protects against four strains, but at a higher dose.
Some local public health units will administer these vaccines, and Ontarians can refer to the province's public health unit locator to determine which one they can visit.
Survey Finds Vaccine Skepticism Rising In B.C.
British Columbians increasingly questioning flu and childhood vaccines amid misinformation surge, according to Research Co.
A recent Research Co. Survey highlights growing vaccine hesitancy in B.C. And across Canada.
The advent of social media has provided ample opportunities for humans to bond. At first, it was remarkable and refreshing to see groups of people from all over the world sharing pictures of sunsets, spoon collections and Pez dispensers. We were all having fun.
Unfortunately, we have not found the same rapport and good will in realms like politics, education, science and medicine. Conversations easily evolve into shouting matches. Content that has evidently been doctored makes it through seemingly trained and experienced eyes, and gets shared by thousands of users who say to themselves: "If a person I respect linked to this, it must be true." We later realize that what seemed real was actually not.
Many angry "tweets" about service originate from airports. Your flight got delayed. You are essentially confined to a tiny space and your smartphone becomes a megaphone to express dismay at the airline that left you stranded or made you wait. The COVID-19 pandemic, which for better or worse confined us to our homes, provided people with a chance to take the airport lounge inside their home. Anger led to people "doing their own research" to become supposed experts on anything, usually with slanted sources that fit their prevailing biases.
Few issues have been as polarizing as vaccines. Earlier this month, about three in five Canadians (59 per cent, up eight points since March 2022) told us that each person should be allowed to decide whether they want to get the seasonal flu vaccine, while just under two in five (38 per cent, down three points) think the flu vaccine should be mandatory in their province.
Support for a "flu vaccine mandate" is higher among Canadians aged 18-34 (44 per cent) than among their counterparts aged 35 to 54 (33 per cent) and aged 55 and over (36 per cent). The regional disparities are staggering. Half of British Columbians (50 per cent) think the flu vaccine should be given to everyone. The proportions are lower in Atlantic Canada (43 per cent), Quebec (40 per cent), Alberta (37 per cent), Ontario (34 per cent) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (21 per cent).
Canadians who voted for the Liberal Party in 2021 are more likely to support making flu vaccines mandatory (46 per cent) than those who voted for the NDP (41 per cent) or the Conservative Party (32 per cent) in the last federal election.
The numbers shift dramatically when we ask Canadians about childhood diseases. Across the country, 67 per cent of Canadians think vaccinations for children should "definitely" or "probably" be mandatory in their province (down eight points). Just under three in ten (29 per cent, up nine points) think the decision on vaccination should "definitely" or "probably" be made by parents.
Optimists will take solace in the fact that vaccinations for children are endorsed by more than two-thirds of Canadians. Pessimists will understandably acknowledge the steady increase in the proportion of residents who think parents have the ultimate say about an issue that can affect entire populations.
We have already had clear signals of how bad the problem can be. In May, Ontario marked its first measles death since 1989. The provincial Public Health Office (PHO) reports that the proportion of four-year-olds in the province with zero vaccine doses increased from four per cent in 2019-2020 to 17 per cent in 2022-2023. This is clearly not a trend that the medical community wants to see.
On a regional basis, the differences on this question are not extreme. Alberta leads the way, with 34 per cent of residents saying childhood vaccinations are better left to parents. Quebec is second with 31 per cent, followed by British Columbia (30 per cent), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (also 30 per cent), Ontario (28 per cent) and Atlantic Canada (also 28 per cent).
More troubling is the fact that the long-debunked idea of a connection between the childhood vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), and autism remains prevalent in the Canadian population. This year, 31 per cent of Canadians say this notion is "definitely" or "probably" correct, up 12 points over the past couple of years.
Canadians aged 18-34 are more likely to believe that the link between vaccines and autism is real (26 per cent) than their older counterparts. This is a disheartening statistic. A significant proportion of Canadians who are in the perfect age for childrearing may have "done their own research" and looked at files from ill-prepared sources.
These results should serve as a wake-up call to provincial health authorities. It is one thing for your average social media post to justify a loss of stamina after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. It is very different to see that the effectiveness of childhood inoculation is being questioned at a higher rate than two years ago, and to see more than one in four of the country's youngest adults ready to make decisions for their children based on something they heard or read a long time ago.
Results are based on an online survey conducted from Oct. 7-9, 2024, among 1,001 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error, which measures sample variability, is +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
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