With Halloween shops opening and pumpkin spice in the air, it’s also time to think about getting a new COVID-19 vaccine for the fall. Health Canada announced it has approved a new vaccine made by Pfizer Canada and BioNTech for the fall of 2025.

Health Canada has issued a recall notice for Wellness by London Drugs Hand Sanitizer Gel due to what the federal agency has called deficiencies in “good manufacturing practices.” The specific reason for the recall was not listed in the recall notice.

In Canada, the rate of smokers aged 15 years or older is around 10%, according to a national 2021 Tobacco and Nicotine survey. Like the US, the survey revealed vaping rates to be higher at around 17%.

Canada's law around medically assisted dying (MAID) changes in March 2024, mental health patients, including those with substance abuse issues, will be able to seek assisted suicide.

Health Canada has granted a medical device licence for Cepheid’s Xpert HCV VL Fingerstick, a test used to detect and quantify hepatitis C.

The approval from Health Canada is conditional, pending results of trials to confirm the immunotherapy’s clinical benefit.

Canada's new guidelines are way below the recommendations for other countries. In the UK, health authorities say people should have no more than six pints or six glasses of wine a week.