Canadians across the country mark Remembrance Day
Today Canadians will remember and honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized a second dose of Omicron-targeting COVID-19 vaccines for older adults as well as those with a weak immune system.
The agency also said the updated shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna would become the new primary COVID-19 vaccine, and withdrew its emergency-use authorization for the older messenger RNA vaccines that target only the original version of coronavirus.
People aged 65 years and older can now receive a second dose of the updated "bivalent" booster four months after the first, while immunocompromised people can get an additional shot of the updated vaccine after two months, the agency said.
"We're hoping that it's going to encourage people who have not received the bivalent booster to go out and consider getting one," Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said at a news conference.
Most Americans over the age of 65 had not yet received a bivalent booster, he said.
The FDA decision comes a day before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) panel of expert advisers meets to discuss updating U.S. COVID-19 vaccination guidelines.
The group is not expected to vote on their use, but the CDC director needs to sign off on the second Omicron-tailored shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for them to become widely available.
In February, a working group of the expert advisers said there was not enough evidence to support recommending more than one COVID-19 booster shot a year.
Marks said he believes the data currently supports a six-month interval for people over 65. Immunocompromised people might need more individualized recommendations because their various conditions could influence how often they need to receive booster shots, he said.
The FDA authorized the retooled COVID-19 boosters in August that target the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, along with the original strain of the coronavirus. Since then, the vast majority of the COVID-19 shots, more than 85 per cent, that have been given in the U.S. have been the bivalent shots, according to CDC data.
Still, only around 17 per cent of the U.S. population have gotten the updated boosters. Among people aged 65 years and older, the uptake is higher, with nearly 43 per cent receiving the newer shot.
The authorization withdrawal of the original COVID-19 vaccines comes as the FDA plans to shift to an annual COVID-19 booster campaign with an updated strain, similar to the way Americans get their flu shots.
"We'll look to do our best to select what we believe to be likely to circulate the following fall-winter season, and use that in the vaccine composition," Marks said.
The FDA said it will hold a meeting of its advisers in June to discuss that strain composition, with vaccine manufacturers expected to update their shots once they are selected.
Novavax Inc, which missed out on the pandemic vaccine windfall enjoyed by rivals Pfizer and Moderna, is also preparing to update its vaccine for the fall, even though its protein-based shots may take longer to manufacture than mRNA counterparts.
The FDA's announcement on Tuesday does not impact availability of the company's shots, Novavax said.
The company said it is manufacturing several vaccine options before getting regulatory clearance and continues to collaborate with the FDA to develop an updated vaccine for the fall campaign.
Marks said the FDA was "working with all the different companies to try to make sure that we have the appropriate vaccines available, timely, for the fall."
Today Canadians will remember and honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says that Tom Homan, his former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, will serve as "border czar" in his incoming administration.
Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.
Applause erupted over and over at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg Sunday as the son of Murray Sinclair, a former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools, spoke about his father.
The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 2022 Dobbs decision eliminated the federal right to abortion, miscarriage management has become trickier and in some cases, deadlier.
A children's book written by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been withdrawn from sale after it was criticized for causing offense to Indigenous Australians.
A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.
In his column for CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew offers a step-by-step guide on how to make the shift from renting to becoming a homeowner, and what you can start doing today to help the process go smoother.
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.