Health Canada approves updated Moderna COVID vaccine

Health Canada has fully approved Moderna’s new COVID-19 vaccine, Spikevax, targeting the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant for everybody six months of age and older.

On Tuesday, September 12, a technical briefing was held by officials from Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization to discuss the updated vaccine that targets the Omicron XBB.1.5 subvariant.

Health Canada said people aged five and older should receive one dose, regardless of their COVID-19 vaccination history. Children from six months to four years old should receive two doses if they have not been previously vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, or one dose if they already had at least one dose.

Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said, “We will have enough supply of the updated COVID-19 vaccines to support immunization programs across Canada.” The deliveries to provinces of the updated vaccine are expected in early October.

The campaign for new COVID-19 shots comes as cases are expected to increase heading into the fall and winter. Dr. Tam said that last fall, Canada had an early start to the influenza season as well as high numbers of respiratory syncytial virus

(RSV) infections. She noted that COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have been on the rise in the last several weeks.

“It is difficult to predict what will happen this fall and winter regarding the circulation of influenza, RSV and COVID-19, given that it is still early in the season,” she said. “But the good news is we can get prepared and protect ourselves in case simultaneous surges of respiratory viruses occur. This is why receiving a COVID-19 vaccine dose as well as a flu shot this fall is especially important.”

She also advised that it is safe to receive a flu vaccine and a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.

Dr. Tam urged all eligible Canadians to be vigilant and updated with their COVID-19 vaccinations. Anyone who has not been infected with COVID-19 or received a COVID-19 vaccination in the past six months is encouraged to get vaccinated with the latest version of a COVID-19 vaccine. This no longer contains the original strain of the virus.

Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical advisor with Health Canada, said, “I know we all wish COVID-19 no longer existed, but people are still getting infected, and vaccination continues to be one of the most effective ways to protect ourselves against serious outcomes.”

FILIPINO...

From page 1 them are running for re-election while the other four are looking to join provincial politics for the first time.

Let’s get to know our kababayan candidates.

Malaya Marcelino

NDP Notre Dame

Elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2019 Manitoba General Election, Malaya Marcelino represents the electoral district of Notre Dame. She is the NDP critic for Labour and Immigration and a fierce advocate for better healthcare and safer communities for inner-city families.

If re-elected, Malaya would like to complete the projects they started in the constituency, such as removing decommissioned railroad tracks in the Weston area to make way for a usable community pathway and making the community clean and safe for everyone.

Malaya emigrated from the Philippines as a child, with her family. She lives in Winnipeg’s West End with her husband and two young children.

Jon Reyes

PC Waverley

Jon Reyes was first elected in the 2016 provincial election as MLA for St. Norbert and was re-elected in 2019 as MLA for Waverley. He was appointed to different government departments since being elected; first as Special Envoy for Military Affairs (20162021) and currently as Minister of Labour and Immigration, since January 2023 in the Progressing Conservative government.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jon served 10 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. He is married and has two children.

Kelly Legaspi

NDP Tyndall Park

A registered nurse by profession, Kelly Legaspi immigrated to Canada in 2000 as a nurse through the Provincial Nominee Program. She has been an active member in service of the community through the years, including as an officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Filipino Seniors Group of Winnipeg and as founding Vice President of the Philippine Nurses Association of Manitoba.

Kelly has a fourth-degree black belt in modern Sikaran and Arnis, and together with her family, heads the Winnipeg Sikaran-Arnis martial arts school for youth. She previously ran in the 2019 Manitoba Election as the NDP candidate for AgassizSouthern Manitoba. In this election Kelly is running for the NDP against incumbent Cindy Lamoureux of the Liberal Party in Tyndall Park.

Garry Alejo

MLP Burrows

Garry Alejo is from Ilocos province in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada in 2014 with his family.

He is currently working in the finance department of an airline company where he also served as a Union Board Member.

Garry organized the Northwest Bear Clan Patrol chapter with diverse active members from the community. He is also a Board Member of the organizations Caring for Our Environment Manitoba and the

Tyndall Park Community Centre. He said he decided to run this election because he wanted to see change in the Burrows area, particularly with regards to safety and crime prevention.

Garry is running for the Liberal Party against incumbent Diljeet Brar of the NDP and the PC’s Navraz Brar.

Christopher Santos

PC Tyndall Park

Motivated by his belief in inclusive, equitable governance, Chris Santos said he decided to enter politics to amplify the voice of marginalized communities. He has a strong background in the building designs industry and has been employed as a senior architectural technologist.

Chris is also a long-time community volunteer and has served as officer and member of the governing board of the Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba and is currently the interim president of the Bulacan Association of Winnipeg, Inc.

Chris and his family have lived in Tyndall Park for 42 years and he said it would be an honour for him to serve for the betterment of the community. He is running against Liberal incumbent Cindy Lamoureux and fellow Filipino, Kelly Legaspi of the NDP.

Jelynn Dela Cruz

NDP Radisson

Jelynn is running as the NDP candidate for Radisson, in northeast Winnipeg. She is a longtime resident of Radisson and a proud first-generation Canadian. Jelynn works for L’Arche, a non-profit that creates homes and meaningful employment for people living with disabilities.

She is also a former board member and senator of the University of Manitoba where she has served as president of the students’ union.

As part of the Manitoba NDP, Jelynn would work to fix healthcare and make life affordable.