Canada is ready to administer the world's first plant-based COVID-19 vaccine for its citizens. The regulators from Health Canada have approved a two-dose shot of the vaccine for the 18 to 64 age group.
Medicago is a homegrown company based in Quebec City. They have created a plant-based COVID-19 vaccine, called Covifenz, that could mimic the spike proteins found in the virus after purifying the leaves and adding ingredients from a chemical produced by Britain's GlaxoSmithKline.
Clinical studies involving 24,000 individuals showed that the vaccine is effective by 71 percent against COVID-19 and 75 percent against the Delta variant. However, the studies were completed before the emergence of the Omicron variant. As with the other vaccines, side effects from the plant-based COVID-19 vaccine include fever and fatigue, which are usually mild.
Medicago will be initially supplying 76 million doses for Canada as soon as possible. The company is also planning to fulfill orders for Japan, the U.S., as well as some European and Asian countries.
Covifenz Omicron Clinical Studies Underway
In an interview with CBC News, Dr. Brian Ward, Medicago's medical officer, said that they will know how their plant-based COVID-19 vaccine works against the Omicron variant in the coming months. They are also going to conduct a study on Covifenz as a booster shot.
It comes as health authorities across the globe are looking for more potential vaccine sources to increase the supply worldwide. It also comes as Sanofi is almost ready to launch its protein-based vaccine using the same ingredient from GlaxoSmithKline.
Prior to the approval of Covifenz, the government of Canada has secured more vaccine doses from Pfizer/BioNTec, Moderna and Novavax to last until 2023. Canada is also eyeing the Sanofi-GSK vaccine once it receives regulatory approval.
Canada has more than 80 percent fully vaccinated individuals and its cases have dropped to a daily average of 6,000 following a worrying Omicron surge in January. Restrictions have also eased in some regions and will potentially remove the face mask requirements by mid-March 2022.
Health officials, however, continue to warn the locals that the virus remains active thus they continue to push the booster shots.
CDC Updates Face Mask Guidelines
Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines on the wearing of face masks. As of Friday, Feb. 26, 70 percent of Americans may now go maskless and disregard social distancing if they are fully vaccinated. The unvaccinated, however, are still required to wear a face mask even in low-risk areas.
The health experts said that America is past the virus surge and they can start relaxing the restrictions. Following this new recommendation, schools across America may soon end the indoor masking rule.
However, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that the public must still be ready for what might come next with the rules relaxed as the virus is still in the air. Cases must also be continually monitored so that hospitals will not be overwhelmed.
