It appears as though a booster that could offer protection against the Omicron variant of COVID-19 could be available as early as this fall, but whether it will receive approval in this country in time for the fall flu season is still unknown.

Moderna announced last week that it has developed a vaccine that combines the original shot with protection against Omicron, which until now has been effective at evading the human immune system.

The World Health Organization is looking for a new vaccine that will effectively protect against the surge of infections that is expected when students return to school in the fall.

The Department of Health and Community Services says the product has not been approved for use in Canada at this time and consideration cannot be given to adding it to the vaccine booster program until it is approved and guidelines for its use are in place.