Study results show subtle differences in antibody response between Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for residents of long-term care
This CITF-funded research, which is in pre-print, was led by Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI) senior scientists Dr. Anne-Claude Gingras and Dr. Allison McGeer and reveals that long-term care (LTC) residents in Ontario who received the Pfizer vaccine had lower antibody responses to Alpha, Beta and Gamma than those vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine. The Delta variant was not assessed.
Researchers to study COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety in transplant patients
A national research study has just launched to investigate the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in transplant recipients. The Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG), is investing over $2.84 million in this research study, based at University Health Network and called PREVenT COVID, short for Prospective Evaluation of COVID-19 Vaccine in Transplant Recipients: A National Strategy.
How well do COVID-19 vaccines work in people with cancer, immune deficiencies and other populations with health vulnerabilities?
The Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG), is investing more than $8 million on four studies led by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa. The studies aim to answer important questions about COVID-19 vaccines, including how well they work in people with cancer and with inherited and medication-related immune deficiencies. One of the studies will also be looking at post-COVID-19 conditions.
Researchers to investigate vaccine uptake, efficacy and side effects in vulnerable urban populations
Urban centres across Canada are home to many vulnerable populations who are more at risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 and developing serious complications from COVID-19. The Government of Canada, through the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and the Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG), is investing approximately $770,000 in a new study that will investigate the uptake, effectiveness, and side effects of COVID-19 vaccines among members of vulnerable urban populations in Canada.
Canadian researchers to study best approaches to possible adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination
The Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG), is investing approximately $800,000 for a study that aims to further improve Canada’s identification and response to adverse events people may experience following COVID-19 vaccination across 10 provinces.
Study to investigate COVID-19 risk factors and immunity in Montreal North
A new research study aims to uncover why Montreal North has been one of Canada’s most severely affected neighbourhoods during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study results will shed light on the reasons why some neighbourhoods appear to be at greater risk for the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Study reveals children and youth had highest rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Canada before third wave
Canada’s most representative study to date investigating how many Canadians have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, reveals a mere 2.6% of Canadians tested between November 2020 and April 2021 had developed antibodies resulting from a past infection. Another 1% of Canadians had antibodies due to vaccination, reflecting the fact that vaccination was not widely available during the survey period. This brings the total percentage of Canadians with some form of immunity before the third wave to 3.6%. These data come from Statistics Canada’s Canadian COVID-19 Antibody and Health Survey (CCAHS), done in partnership with Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF), the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Health Canada.
Largest international review of serosurveys, done by Canadians, suggests that the global population remains vulnerable to COVID-19
SeroTracker, a Canadian research group, has published the largest study to date on the global spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the journal PLOS One. The study examined antibody survey data, which were published from January to December 2020, from 9.3 million people in 74 countries and found that the number of people who had a SARS-COV-2 infection, although widely variable globally, remained fairly low in the general population.
Early results from a national study confirm antibody levels are stronger after receiving two doses
Initial preliminary results from the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath) COVID-19 Antibody Study, based on close to 6,000 dried blood spot samples collected between February 8 and May 17, 2021, show a high degree of variability in the level of antibodies produced by a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. These findings highlight the importance of accelerating second doses as the Delta variant continues to spread, particularly with the vast majority of Canadians having received only a single vaccine dose.
Study finds schools are not at higher risk for COVID-19
A study in British Columbia has found the risk of staff acquiring SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in schools is no greater than their risk of acquiring the virus in day-to-day life in the community. The findings have been published as a pre-print ahead of peer review.
Extensive Study in Canada to Assess COVID-19 Vaccine Immune Responses and Effectiveness among People Living With HIV
People living with HIV are less likely to mount an adequate immune response, which may put them at higher risk for both serious COVID-19 illness and reduced response to COVID-19 vaccination. The Government of Canada, through its COVID-19 Immunity Task Force (CITF) and Vaccine Surveillance Reference Group (VSRG), is investing approximately $1.75 million in a study that will assess the immune responses, safety, and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination for this vulnerable population that has been understudied with respect to COVID-19.
New study to monitor COVID-19 illness and vaccine safety, effectiveness in children and youth in Canada
The CITF and VSRG are supporting a new pan-Canadian study that will monitor the effects of illness from COVID-19, as well as the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in children and youth. The study will be conducted through Canada’s IMPACT (Immunization Monitoring Program ACTive) network, which has been continuously monitoring multiple pediatric vaccines for more than 30 years.