As we head into fall, cases of COVID-19 are once again rising across Canada, fueled by new variants that are offshoots of the original Omicron variant.

At the same time, Canada is rolling out an updated suite of vaccines that are more tailored to currently circulating strains of the virus.

Dr. Horacio Bach, a clinical assistant professor with UBC’s division of infectious diseases and researcher at the Immunity and Infection Research Centre, answers key questions about the new variants and vaccines.

What makes COVID-19 variants different from each other?

All viruses mutate over time, which is what gives rise to new variants. Each variant has genetic changes that can affect the virus’s behaviour including transmissibility and its ability to evade the immune system.

What’s different about the new vaccines?

Canada is expected to roll out three new vaccine formulations this fall, including updated mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, as well as a protein-based vaccine from Novavax.

The new vaccines use updated sequences corresponding to the variant XBB.1.5, which was one of the dominant variants through spring and summer and continues to circulate today. While the Eris variant is now dominant in Canada, and Pirola is emerging, preliminary evidence suggests that the new vaccines will still offer protection against these variants.

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