COVID-19 vaccines expected to be available in Alberta by mid-October

A person draws out Moderna vaccine during a drive through COVID-19 vaccine clinic at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ont., on Sunday Jan. 2, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg)

Alberta's fall respiratory virus immunization program, including COVID-19 vaccines, is expected to begin in mid-October.

In an emailed statement Monday, the office of the minister of health said it is currently working with the federal government to procure the respiratory virus immunizations for the fall.

"We anticipate that fall respiratory virus immunizations will be available beginning on October 15," the statement reads.

"We will have more to say on Alberta's immunization program in the coming weeks."

The province notes that the recently approved updated Novavax COVID-19 vaccine will not be available to Albertans as it is not being domestically manufactured.

"As confirmed by Novavax, Nuvaxovid will not be available on the private market, and there will be no option for Albertans to purchase the vaccine," the office of the minister said in the statement.

Last week, the federal health agency also approved Moderna's new COVID-19 vaccine that protects against currently circulating variants of the virus.

The new formulation of the mRNA vaccine, called Spikevax, targets the KP.2 Omicron subvariant.

Health Canada said it has secured enough supply of COVID-19 vaccines to meet provincial and territorial demand for the fall and winter.

However, the timeline of when people can roll up their sleeves to get their shot is up to the provinces and territories.

Pfizer's Comirnaty vaccine is also being reviewed by Health Canada, with a decision expected in the next few weeks.

In preparation for the new versions of the vaccines, Alberta – and the other provinces and territories – were ordered to destroy all old strains of COVID-19 vaccines by Aug. 31.

With files from The Canadian Press