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Tag: vaccines

Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

B.C. flu and COVID vaccine rollout is too little, too late

Published October 15, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Victoria News
Published on:
By Dr. Lyne Filiatrault

Where are B.C.’s vaccines?

Influenza A and COVID are already spreading. Another flu season in B.C., another round of vaccination arriving too late.

Last week, the Provincial Health Officer finally announced that flu vaccination for the higher risk population will start on Oct. 13. Thereafter the general public will be receiving vaccination notifications until early November.

Of course, Dr. Bonnie Henry is well aware that it takes another two weeks after vaccination for full antibody protection to develop.

Vaccination will then happen after many families will have gathered for Thanksgiving dinner with perhaps one or more uninvited guests floating in the air such as influenza A and COVID.

Continue readingB.C. flu and COVID vaccine rollout is too little, too late
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Topic: QuebecView all posts for the topic: Quebec

Flu vaccine: appointments are now available in Quebec

Published October 13, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Radio-Canada
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By Stéphane Bordeleau, Simon Bérubé

The flu has already returned to Quebec, where the season is expected to be early. Again this year, Quebecers will be able to get a flu vaccine in pharmacies, in clinics, and in certain RPAs (private residences for seniors).

Appointments can be booked starting today (October 13) on the Clic Santé platform (new window) or via the websites of private pharmacies. Vaccinations will begin on October 20.

This year, the vaccine will only be offered free of charge to those who are the most vulnerable to the flu (see the table below).

Continue readingFlu vaccine: appointments are now available in Quebec
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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

Flu and COVID-19 vaccinations underway in B.C. as respiratory illness season arrives early

An early peak in flu season is being driven by the H1N1 strain, according to the BCCDC

Published October 7, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CBC News
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By Claire Palmer

B.C. has launched its annual fall immunization campaign amid an early start to the cold and flu season.

New this year, the province will be offering an enhanced flu shot and an immunization for RSV for seniors.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control said the early rise in cases is predominantly being driven by this year’s flu strain — H1N1, or influenza A — which is known to peak earlier and cause more severe illness.

Continue readingFlu and COVID-19 vaccinations underway in B.C. as respiratory illness season arrives early
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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

Beginning immunizations for viral respiratory season

People encouraged to protect themselves, loved ones from influenza, COVID-19, other viral illnesses

Published October 7, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Government of British Columbia
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Summary

  • Vaccines are available for influenza and COVID-19
  • Notifications began for priority populations on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, and appointments will start as early as Tuesday, Oct. 13
  • Notifications will continue and will expand to the general population through early November 2026
  • New this year: Seniors 75+ and Indigenous people 60+ are eligible for the RSV vaccine
Continue readingBeginning immunizations for viral respiratory season
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Topic: SaskatchewanView all posts for the topic: Saskatchewan

Sask. opens flu and COVID immunization bookings as sickness circulates

Too early to know how bad flu and COVID season may be, health officer says

Published October 6, 2026

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Published by: CBC News
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By Emma Stuart-Kiss

Saskatchewan has opened bookings for flu and COVID-19 vaccines.

The flu has been circulating this past month, with some parts of the country experiencing an early start to flu season. Health Canada reported 815 confirmed influenza cases for the week ending Sept. 26, compared to 291 in the week ending Sept. 5.

Continue readingSask. opens flu and COVID immunization bookings as sickness circulates
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COVID-19 vaccines in CanadaIllustration of a syringe. White text on a violet-blue background: COVID-19 vaccines.
Topic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines in Canada

Published October 5, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

In 2026-2027, three COVID-19 vaccines will be available in Canada: the Moderna Spikevax, Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty, and Sanofi Nuvaxovid vaccines. In most provinces/territories, all three vaccines will be available via publicly funded programs. Limited quantities of the free doses of the Nuvaxovid vaccine will be available. Only vaccines that Health Canada has approved for use will be administered.

The Nuvaxovid (formerly Novavax) COVID-19 vaccine will be available in the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Nunavut has not announced details for its vaccination program yet.

Learn more about the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in Canada

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Topic: QuebecView all posts for the topic: Quebec

Most Quebeckers lose flu shot coverage as viral season gets early start

Published October 2, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: The Globe and Mail
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By Tu Thanh Ha, Alanna Smith

Quebeckers who are not considered high-risk will have to pay nearly $200 to get vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19 this season, charting a path opposite to other provinces in Canada as the viral season picks up speed.

Quebec is the only province scrapping universal flu coverage, owing its decision to guidance from the province’s immunization committee. Only some categories will be eligible for a free flu shot, such as Quebeckers 65 and older; people with certain chronic conditions – such as immunocompromised people – and those living with them; pregnant women; residents of seniors’ homes and long-term care facilities.

Those who do not qualify can expect to be charged around $150 for the COVID-19 vaccine, which came into effect in the province last year. Now, they will also need to pay between $30 and $40 for the flu shot, said Marilie Beaulieu-Gravel, a spokesperson for the association representing pharmacy owners in Quebec.

Continue readingMost Quebeckers lose flu shot coverage as viral season gets early start
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Topic: QuebecView all posts for the topic: Quebec

The flu and COVID-19 vaccination campaign will begin on October 20

It will not be free for everyone this year.

Published October 1, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Le Devoir
Published on:
By Florence Morin-Martel

Quebecers will be able to make appointments starting on October 13, to be vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 during the autumn campaign. This will start on October 20, but this year the free vaccinations will be reserved for groups considered to be the most vulnerable.

In less than two weeks, the public will therefore be able to make appointments on Clic Santé. It will also be possible to do this at pharmacies, with over 1,700 in the province offering the flu and COVID-19 vaccines free of charge to those who are eligible.

This year, the free influenza and COVID-19 vaccine doses are reserved for people aged 65 years and older, as well as residents of CHSLDs (residential and long-term care centres), private residences for the elderly, and other communal settings that include many vulnerable people.

Continue readingThe flu and COVID-19 vaccination campaign will begin on October 20
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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines available to some Ontarians starting today. Here is who is eligible

Published September 28, 2026

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Published by: CTV News
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By Phil Tsekouras

The Ontario government is launching its fall immunization program ahead of flu season and some people can get their shots starting this week.

In a news release, the Ministry of Health said an initial supply of COVID-19 and flu vaccines will be available for high-risk and priority groups who live, work or study in Ontario starting Monday. Those individuals include:

  • Hospitalized patients
  • Hospital staff
  • Residents and staff in long-term care homes, retirement homes and other congregate settings
  • Individuals aged 65 and older
Continue readingFlu and COVID-19 vaccines available to some Ontarians starting today. Here is who is eligible
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Topic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines

Health Canada Authorizes Pfizer and BioNTech’s Omicron XFG-Adapted COVID-19 Vaccine

Published September 17, 2026

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Published by: PR Newswire
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By Pfizer Canada

KIRKLAND, QC, Sept. 17, 2026 /CNW/ — Pfizer Canada ULC and BioNTech SE today announced that Health Canada has authorized the XFG variant-adapted COMIRNATY® for active immunization of individuals aged 6 months and older against COVID-19. The updated COMIRNATY® vaccine targets the Omicron XFG lineage, in alignment with public health recommendations for the 2026-2027 season.

The Health Canada approval is based on the cumulative body of evidence previously submitted by Pfizer and BioNTech that includes clinical, non-clinical and real-world data supporting the safety and effectiveness of COMIRNATY®.

Continue readingHealth Canada Authorizes Pfizer and BioNTech’s Omicron XFG-Adapted COVID-19 Vaccine
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Topic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta

Alberta government maintaining COVID vaccine fee as it prepares for fall influenza campaign

Province says Albertans can start booking vaccination appointments on Oct. 5

Published September 14, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CBC News / The Canadian Press
Published on:

The Alberta government says its provincewide influenza, COVID and respiratory syncytial virus vaccination campaign will begin next month.

In a news release issued Monday, the province said it’s maintaining the $100 fee it brought in last year for those seeking the COVID vaccine, though there’s a long list of reasons that could see the fee be waived for people, such as having health conditions that put them at risk for severe illness.

Continue readingAlberta government maintaining COVID vaccine fee as it prepares for fall influenza campaign
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Topic: AustraliaView all posts for the topic: Australia

20 years. Millions of lives saved. One revolutionary vaccine

Published August 27, 2026

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Published by: The University of Queensland
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Twenty years ago, the first dose of a UQ-developed vaccine was given to a teenage girl in Brisbane. That same vaccine is now on track to end cervical cancer in Australia.

August 28, 2026, marks the 20th anniversary of the first dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine – now known as Gardasil 9 – which immunises recipients against the virus that is the leading cause of cervical cancer.

The vaccine, developed by Emeritus Professor Ian Frazer AC and the late Dr Jian Zhou, is now offered to all children aged 12-13 years old through the school-based National Immunisation Program.

Worldwide, more than 600 million doses of Gardasil have been administered.

Continue reading20 years. Millions of lives saved. One revolutionary vaccine
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Seasonal COVID-19 vaccination in 2025/26 reduced risk of illness by half in CanadaA healthcare worker administers a vaccine dose to a patient. Photo: Katja Fuhlert / Pixabay.
Topic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines

Seasonal COVID-19 vaccination in 2025/26 reduced risk of illness by half in Canada

Published May 7, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Medical Xpress
Published on:
By European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

An interim analysis published in Eurosurveillance estimates that the COVID-19 vaccine for the 2025/26 season reduced the risk of illness in Canada by about half at about 9 weeks after vaccination, offering protection beyond the vaccine’s target strain.

Seasonal COVID-19 vaccination is recommended in Canada as in several other countries for people older than 6 months with an increased risk of severe illness from the infection, and for all adults aged 65 or older. In the 2025/26 respiratory virus season, the vaccine was updated to target the LP.8.1 strain as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), but other strains were also circulating during that period.

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Topic: anti-vaxxersView all posts for the topic: anti-vaxxers

HHS rejects publication of study showing Covid-19 vaccines prevent hospitalizations, ER visits

Published April 22, 2026

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Published by: CNN
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By Brenda Goodman

Covid-19 vaccines roughly halved the chances that a US adult would need to visit the emergency room or be hospitalized with their infections last fall and winter, according to two sources familiar with the findings of a new study. But you won’t hear about it from the agency that led the research: the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The current head of the CDC, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who’s also director of the US National Institutes of Health, blocked the publication of those findings in the CDC’s flagship journal, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, according to the sources.

The authors of the study received an official rejection letter from the journal on Tuesday, one source said, even though the study had cleared internal reviews and had been scheduled for publication.

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Topic: hospitalizationsView all posts for the topic: hospitalizations

Hospitalization rates for illnesses like COVID, flu have doubled since pre-pandemic, report finds

Vaccine-preventable respiratory infections sending thousands to hospital, all while vaccine uptake is dropping

Published April 16, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CBC News
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By Lauren Pelley

Years after the virus that causes COVID-19 kicked off a global pandemic, it’s still sending thousands of Canadians into hospital each year alongside other respiratory infections — despite a suite of vaccines that can slash someone’s risk of serious illness.

Striking new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows hospitalization rates for vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases more than doubled in 2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels, all while vaccination rates are backsliding.

There were 142 hospitalizations for every 100,000 Canadians that year, the data shows, up from roughly 66 per 100,000 in 2019.

Continue readingHospitalization rates for illnesses like COVID, flu have doubled since pre-pandemic, report finds
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Nuvaxovid now! We need access to the Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine in 2026/2027!Illustration of a syringe, accompanied by white and gold text on a blue background reading: Nuvaxovid now! Canadians need access to the Nuvaxovid vaccine in 2026/2027. Use our online tool to send emails to health ministers. StillCoviding.ca #NuvaxovidNow.
Topic: take actionView all posts for the topic: take action

Nuvaxovid now! We need access to the Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine in 2026/2027!

Published April 11, 2026

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

📣 Let health ministers know you want timely access to the Nuvaxovid (formerly Novavax) COVID-19 vaccine for the 2026/2027 season

✉️ Send letters to health ministers to voice your support for access to the Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine in 2026/2027. Use our online tool to send emails.

Continue readingNuvaxovid now! We need access to the Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine in 2026/2027!
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Topic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines

Judge Strikes Down Kennedy’s Vaccine Policies

Ruling on a lawsuit brought by several prominent medical organizations, a district court said the federal government had not based its decisions on science in limiting Covid shots and revising the childhood immunization schedule.

Published March 16, 2026

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Published by: The New York Times
Published on:
By Apoorva Mandavilli

In a severe blow to the Trump administration’s health agenda, a federal judge in Massachusetts on Monday blocked the government from implementing a series of decisions on vaccines made over the last year by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The ruling also reversed, at least for the time being, all decisions made by the panelists that Mr. Kennedy appointed to the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, which makes recommendations on which vaccines Americans should take. The court decision will prevent the committee from meeting later this week, as it was scheduled to do.

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Topic: vaccinesView all posts for the topic: vaccines

F.D.A. Reverses Decision and Agrees to Review Moderna’s Flu Vaccine

Moderna held further discussions with regulators and announced that the agency would accept the company’s application for approval of its flu vaccine that uses mRNA technology.

Published February 18, 2026

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Published by: The New York Times
Published on:
By Christina Jewett, Rebecca Robbins

The Food and Drug Administration reversed its decision on Moderna’s flu vaccine and has agreed to review it for possible approval.

Just last week, Moderna announced that the agency had rejected its application for review of a new flu vaccine. The F.D.A. said the company’s research design had been flawed.

Continue readingF.D.A. Reverses Decision and Agrees to Review Moderna’s Flu Vaccine
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