Health Canada last week approved the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine.

It’s the third updated booster available to Canadians 12 and older to protect against the dominant XBB.1.5 subvariants now in circulation.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says the vaccine is protein-based, unlike the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines which use mRNA technology.

She says the vaccine has been available for use in the province for some time, and this is just one version. Dr. Fitzgerald says the recommendation is for people to get an mRNA vaccine, but that’s not possible for all people, so the Novavax version will be incorporated into the province’s vaccine supply.