Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine shots now available to Albertans
Appointment bookings for the vaccine that targets both the original COVID-19 strain as well as the Omicron variant opened to Albertans on Wednesday.
The first doses of Moderna's Spikevax Bivalent COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose were also expected to be administered on Wednesday.
As of 3 p.m., 7,200 appointments had been made. Alberta Health did not have the number of walk-in appointments that had been served.
According to Alberta Health, the vaccine triggers a stronger immune response and provides extra protection against both strains.
The province has what it calls an "ample supply" -- about 428,700 doses. An Alberta Health spokesperson said Alberta has access to additional supply if needed.
Appointments could be made online.
Albertans were eligible if:
- They were 18 years old;
- They had completed a primary vaccine series; and
- It had been five months since their most-recent dose or infection (for higher risk individuals, a shorter interval of three months can be considered).
Manitoba and Nova Scotia also opened bookings for the bivalent vaccine on Wednesday.
B.C. and Ontario were already taking appointments.
Health Canada authorized the shot at the beginning of the month.
The Alberta government expects rollout for minors aged 12 to 17 to begin in "late September/early October."
When influenza vaccine rollout begins in senior congregate care facilities in October, the Spikevax bivalent shot will be offered at the same time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.