Saskatchewan to open bivalent vaccine eligibility to anyone 18 and older | Globalnews.ca

Starting on Sept. 29, all Saskatchewan residents 18 years and older who are eligible for a COVID-19 booster dose may receive the Moderna bivalent vaccine.

The Moderna bivalent vaccine protects against the original COVID-19 virus as well as provides enhanced protection against the currently circulating Omicron variants.

Clinical trials have shown that the Moderna bivalent vaccine triggers a strong immune response against the original 2020 COVID-19 virus and Omicron variants.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) recommends eligible residents receive the bivalent booster dose at least four months after their last COVID-19 vaccination, regardless of the number of COVID-19 doses received to date.

The bivalent vaccine has been approved only as a booster dose by Health Canada and cannot be taken as part of the primary series of vaccines.

If you have had COVID-19, you can receive any booster dose once you have recovered; however, you may choose to wait up to three months post-infection for a booster dose to receive the best immune response.

When booking your booster appointments online for an SHA clinic, you are not required to specify which COVID-19 vaccine you wish to receive. The option of the bivalent vaccine will be provided to eligible individuals in the clinic at the time of vaccination.

Saskatchewan joins six other provinces to offer the bivalent vaccine to everyone over 18.

Appointments can be made online on the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s website.