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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.