Health Canada has approved a new COVID-19 vaccine called Novavax, for use in adults. Studies show the new vaccine is 90% effective, and Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says doses will start arriving next month. Once here, provincial and territorial governments will manage vaccine administration.

The overall efficacy of the Novavax vaccine against symptomatic COVID-19 was about 90 per cent, and it was 100 per cent effective against severe disease. Tam explains that Novavax is different from Pfizer and Moderna, as it’s protein based, rather than mRNA.

The proteins contain small pieces of viral proteins specifically selected for their ability to trigger immunity, and they can be stored at refrigerated temperatures from two to eight degrees Celsius, meaning its easy to store and transport.