Updated bivalent COVID-19 booster rolling out in northern Ont.
Northern public health officials tell CTV News they had been advising people to consider waiting for Moderna's updated bivalent booster shot, since it's more effective against the Omicron variant.
Now that it's rolling out across the region, with priority given to highest risk groups and health care workers, experts hope to see more people getting boosted.
"The bivalent vaccine will provide greater protection against the strains that are currently circulating," said the Porcupine Health Unit's COVID-19 planning manager, Kendra Luxmore.
"Which is certainly what we want to see this fall, where we do expect to see higher case rates."
The bivalent booster targets both the original COVID-19 virus and the first Omicron variant that emerged late last year.
According to regional health data, between 50 and 60 per cent of eligible people got the first booster dose that targets just the original strain, but still offers some protection against Omicron.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts' (PHSD) COVID-19 planning manager, Nastassia McNair, said the new shot is proving more effective.
"Studies are showing that, when given as the second booster dose, the bivalent vaccine is demonstrating a higher antibody response against the virus, at this point in time," said McNair.
Everyone is able to book a spot for the booster now, but health officials are asking that those in good health wait until Sept. 26, when it will be more widely available to the general public.
The current COVID-19 situation in the northeast is seeing 28 active high-risk outbreaks, as of Friday. That breaks down to:
- 17 in Greater Sudbury
- Five in Algoma
- Five in Porcupine health district
- One in North Bay-Parry Sound
Though testing data is limited, officials expect that the virus will likely circulate more over the coming weeks and that it's best to be prepared.
Health experts advise people to wait at least six months after their last COVID-19 shot or infection to give their immune system a better jumpstart, though people are eligible for the booster after three months.
"It's essential that we protect ourselves, we protect our community, we mask-up (and) follow that guidance, as needed," said Luxmore.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
Ontario man loses $1,500 applying for Nexus cards on social media
The trusted traveller program between Canada and the United States is extremely popular and almost two million Canadians have a Nexus card.
NEW Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
NEW Companies letting customers opt out of Mother's Day ads
In an effort to balance the profitability of Mother's Day with the pain it causes some people, some brands are offering customers the choice to opt out of Mother's Day email advertising.
NEW A mother's hopes to free her son from a Syrian prison is revitalized by a new human rights report
Just days before the seventh anniversary of the day Jack Letts was thrown in prison with thousands of suspected ISIS fighters, his mother, Sally Lane, delivered a small stack of envelopes to the headquarters of Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa.