Canada won’t be ordering Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine, cites low demand

The Public Health Agency of Canada has announced that it will not offer Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid, during this respiratory virus season due to low demand.

The agency explained that the manufacturer requires a minimum order for its updated protein-based vaccine, which significantly exceeds the demand seen in Canada last year. A small fraction of the doses ordered in 2023 were used, and the decision aligns with efforts to reduce vaccine wastage.

Instead, the agency is distributing two mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, both approved for adults and children aged six months and older. These vaccines have been reformulated to target the circulating KP.2 subvariant of Omicron.

Novavax’s vaccine, recently approved by Health Canada for individuals 12 years and older, is positioned as an alternative to the mRNA vaccines. It has been updated to target the JN.1 subvariant of Omicron, and provinces and territories have the option to order it directly from the manufacturer.

However, by Tuesday, several provinces, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, confirmed to The Canadian Press that they were not placing orders for Nuvaxovid.

The Public Health Agency of Canada also noted that its contract with Novavax only covered access to vaccines manufactured domestically, which Novavax has not been able to confirm for the 2024/25 season. The required minimum order was based on purchasing internationally produced vaccines.

"Demand for Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine in Canada has been very low in previous years," the agency stated. In 2023, 125,000 doses of the Novavax XBB.1.5 vaccine were ordered, but only 5,529 doses were administered.

Novavax confirmed that its updated vaccine was produced outside Canada and mentioned that it relies heavily on its supply agreement with the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd, though it declined to provide further details.