Despite the recent hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which has so far killed three and infected at least eleven others, health officials confirm no licensed vaccine exists.
The World Health Organization states there is no approved antiviral treatment or vaccine for hantavirus infection.
Dr. Fahad Razek, an internal medicine physician at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, said a hantavirus vaccine is an active area of study globally.
The mRNA-based approach spearheaded by Moderna, in partnership with South Korea's Vaccine Innovation Center, remains in early development. Experts caution that even promising candidates must still undergo rigorous clinical trials to confirm safety and efficacy.
Dr. Donald Cuong Vinh, professor of medicine at the McGill University Health Centre, called the outbreak a stark reminder of the COVID-19 pandemic, warning that time is not on our side if the virus spreads faster than research can deliver solutions.
Health Canada assesses the overall risk to the general population as low, stating that transmission requires close, prolonged contact and that person-to-person spread in Canada is not expected.