Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccine to Target At-Risk Populations
Eligibility to expand as additional doses delivered
With approximately ninety thousand doses of the Health Canada-approved Moderna bivalent vaccine arriving in the next two weeks, Saskatchewan will be prioritizing those at highest risk from the current COVID-19 Omicron variant to receive this immunization as a booster dose.
Starting September 12, persons 18 years and older residing in long-term care and personal care homes and other congregate living facilities will be eligible to receive the Moderna bivalent as a booster dose. These facilities will be contacted directly over the next few weeks to arrange for this vaccine administration.
Starting September 19, the Moderna bivalent booster dose will be available at SHA vaccination clinics and through participating pharmacies to:
- all Saskatchewan residents 70 years and older, and
- all Saskatchewan residents 50 years and older in First Nation and Metis communities and those in the Northern Service Administration District (NSAD).
When booking your booster appointments at an SHA clinic, you are not required to specify which COVID-19 vaccine you wish to receive. The option will be provided to eligible individuals in the clinic at the time of vaccination, starting September 19.
It is recommended that eligible populations receive the Moderna bivalent booster dose at least four months following their last COVID-19 vaccination, regardless of the number of COVID-19 doses received to date. If you have had COVID-19, you can receive any booster dose once you have recovered.
Additional age groups will be eligible to receive the bivalent vaccine as supply is received by the province. Any program expansion will be announced publicly and anticipated in early October.
Moderna Bivalent Vaccine
The Moderna bivalent vaccine protects against the original strain of COVID-19 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 strain and Omicron variants. Safety monitoring showed that any side effects experienced were similar to those of the Moderna booster and were typically mild and self-resolving.