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New Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine now available in Niagara

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The newly approved Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine will be available for healthcare workers and high risk individuals in Niagara as of Tuesday.

Officials from the Niagara Region say that the updated vaccine from Moderna offers greater protection for the most recent XBB variant and others that have been circulating in the community.

Initial appointments will be limited to healthcare providers and high risk individuals before opening up availability to the general public.

READ MORE: Niagara Health reinstating mask mandate for staff starting Monday

High risk individuals include:

  • Individuals over the age of 65
  • Residents and staff of congregate living settings
  • All children six-months to four-years-old
  • Pregnant individuals
  • First Nation, Inuit or Metis individuals and their household members
  • Anyone six-months or older with underlying health conditions

The region says that in order to ensure that the most vulnerable receive the updated vaccine as quickly and effectively as possible, Public Health will be working to support vaccination in long-term care and retirement homes over the coming weeks.

A dose of the XBB COVID-19 vaccine is being recommended by health officials for everyone above the age of six months as long as it has been at least six months since they were last vaccinated or infected with COVID-19.

WATCH MORE: Health Canada approves updated Moderna vaccine for COVID-19

Niagara residents can find public health’s vaccine clinic schedule on the region’s website and appointments can be booked through the province’s COVID-19 vaccine portal where a limited number of appointments will be made available from Tuesday to Oct. 14, with more appointments to be added later this month.

In addition to the Spikevax vaccine, Health Canada has also approved the use of the Pfizer-BionNTech Comirnaty XBB-focused vaccine, though the region says they have yet to receive details on when that supply will be received.

Availability for the Spikevax vaccine in neighbouring regions, such as Hamilton and Halton, is expected to follow soon.

WATCH MORE: Ontario offers money to public health units that voluntarily merge

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