Health Canada Approves Updated COVID Vaccines
On Sep. 24, pharmaceutical companies such as Moderna and Pfizer were approved by Health Canada to distribute their updated COVID-19 vaccines, which have been altered to target new FLiRT variants.
The FLiRT sub-variant of the COVID-19 virus is named after the amino acid replacements resulting from mutation – phenylalanine replaces leucine (F for L), and arginine for threonine (R for T), making FL-RT. The i in FLiRT was added to make the name sound like a word, Queen’s University infectious disease specialist Gerald Evans told Global News.
Very little is known about these FLiRT variants, other than that they are sub variants of the Omicron variant. FLiRT is an umbrella term encompassing all COVID-19 variants that start with JN or KP. These two strains, JN and KP, independently evolved the exact same placement of spike proteins on their viruses, one that allows them to better evade antibodies produced by previous infections and vaccinations.
According to the Canadian government’s epidemiology report, since Nov. 5, 2023, cases of FLiRT variants grew from only 2.4 per cent to 80.6 per cent of total COVID-19 cases in October 2024. According to Yale Medicine, the variant was first discovered in a regular test of US wastewater by the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC), but no one is sure if that was the actual first FLiRT case. The first Canadian FLiRT case was announced in government weekly variant reports on Oct. 8, 2023.
According to Mayo Clinic virologist Dr. Binnicker, even those who have previously had COVID-19 should still get this updated vaccine. “If you've been infected … those antibodies may not recognize the protein on the surface of the virus as well." This prevents herd immunity from working as well on newer variants as it does on previous ones.
Those living in BC will be notified through an SMS when it is time to get their vaccine. Most pharmacies will have vaccines available. However, many will require an appointment for vaccinations. Additionally, the BC Children's Hospital hosts a vaccination clinic for patients and their patient’s families, where they can receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the World Health Organization, some ways to slow infection–other than getting updated vaccines–include washing your hands when possible, using hand sanitizer when that is not an option, wearing a mask in potentially hazardous places, and staying home when you are sick. These steps will not completely stop infection, but will significantly slow sickness rates, allowing for a healthier winter for all.