Ontario receives first doses of bivalent vaccine: health minister

Ontario's health minister says the province has received its first limited shipment of the newly approved COVID-19 vaccine that protects against the Omicron variant.

Sylvia Jones says long-term care residents and health-care workers will receive the doses first.

Health Canada said last week it has approved the new shot from Moderna, which targets both the original strain of the novel coronavirus and the original Omicron variant.

Jones says more information about a wider rollout will be coming soon.

She said last week the province has been working with public health units to make sure doses are ready to be administered once they receive them from the federal government.

Health Canada has said there will be enough supply of the shots -- called bivalent vaccines -- for all Canadians 18 and older to get a dose this fall and winter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2022.