Do provinces and territories need to destroy their old COVID-19 vaccines before getting the new fall booster shots?
As Canadians prepare for the rollout of a fall booster campaign, some provinces have said they are being ordered to destroy old supplies of the existing vaccine before they can get new supplies.With vaccination on hold in most regions as a result, here’s what to know about why Health Canada wants the old vaccines pulled from the market, and how provinces are preparing for the rollout.
Did Health Canada order shots destroyed?
The current vaccines being used in Canada target the XBB variant of COVID-19.But that’s no longer the main circulating variant and, just like with flu shots, the vaccine has been updated to target a newer variant and is currently waiting on approval in Canada.“Once approved, updated COVID-19 vaccines will replace the current supply,” the Public Health Agency of Canada says. “Withdrawing the previous XBB vaccines is part of regulatory and supply management best practices, consistent with the approach to annual influenza vaccines.”