Health Canada authorizes Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine and flu-COVID combo for seniors
Moderna's mRNA influenza vaccine and its combined flu-COVID-19 shot have been approved by Health Canada for adults aged 50 and older, though the company says they will not reach pharmacies before the upcoming respiratory virus season.
Health Canada has granted approval for Moderna's mRNA vaccine against influenza and a combined mRNA vaccine targeting both flu and COVID-19. The authorizations apply to adults 50 years of age and older.
Moderna indicated that the flu vaccine, named mFLUSIVA, and the combo product, mCOFLU, received regulatory clearance on Thursday. The company noted that the flu shot had already been approved in the United States in August and the combination vaccine was authorized in Europe last April, making Canada the first country to approve both products.
Despite the approvals, Moderna told The Canadian Press the vaccines are unlikely to be available in pharmacies in time for the current respiratory virus season. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization continues to recommend the non-mRNA flu vaccine for everyone six months and older, with a higher-dose version advised for adults 65 and older, and it strongly advises COVID-19 vaccination for seniors and residents of long-term care facilities. Moderna and Pfizer both have mRNA COVID-19 vaccines on the Canadian market this year.