Omicron variant

The national public health agency is preparing for "worst-case scenario" COVID-19 variants that can evade immunity, Canada's top doctor told members of Parliament on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, as early signs point to a fall resurgence of the virus.

A study co-authored by British Columbia's top doctor says at least 70 to 80 per cent of children and youth in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley have been infected with COVID-19.

Canada's drug regulator approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for infants and preschoolers on Thursday, July 14, 2022, making it the first vaccine approved for that age group in the country.

British Columbia is gearing up for a major COVID-19 booster shot campaign this fall with the expectation that new vaccines tailor-made to fight the Omicron variant will be available.

The new rules will come into effect on June 20, though the requirements for foreign nationals coming to Canada will not change.

Canada needs to turn its COVID-19 aid attention to expanding vaccine production everywhere or the virus will continue to run wild, mutate and bring new waves of disease, says a prominent expert.

Canadian hospitals and health systems are still struggling through the ebb and flow of COVID-19, leading to long delays for elective procedures, new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows.

With pandemic restrictions easing across Canada, a House of Commons committee was warned on April 25, 2022, that disruptive new variants of COVID-19 will continue to emerge every few months unless the low vaccination rate in poorer countries rises.

Experts say Canada needs to develop a robust system to detect COVID-19 activity in the absence of wide-scale PCR testing.

Hospitals across Canada are facing a resurgence of patients with COVID-19 that some health officials say will likely continue for another month.

"Because Omicron is so different, previous infection doesn't protect you," Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, said last week.

Government messaging about the state of the COVID-19 pandemic may stymie uptake of fourth vaccine doses, some experts said, as provinces laid out plans to expand eligibility for the shots to millions more Canadians.

Experts say rapid antigen tests are emerging as an important tool as Canada's pandemic strategy shifts from public health vigilance to an emphasis on personal responsibility.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization is expected to release guidance on fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccine in early April as public health indicators tick up across Canada.

The change will spark a surge in travel bookings both into and out of the country, according to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, although it's not likely to reach pre-pandemic levels yet.