Ontario plans to offer booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all residents, with the next priority group able to book appointments starting Saturday.
The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore made the announcement this afternoon (Wednesday).
He advises eligibility will expand gradually based on age and risk to provide an extra layer of protection against the Delta variant.
Eligible individuals include those 70 and older, health care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings, individuals who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and First Nation, Inuit and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous household members.
Dr. Moore explains the booking procedure.
Government officials say the booster dose strategy is based on early evidence of waning immunity over a period of time.
Dr. Moore says the plan is in response to the latest evidence and guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.
He added, based on Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout for first and second doses, expansion of eligibility for booster doses will be based on age and risk, with an interval of six to eight months from the second dose.
The province will begin offering booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the following vulnerable populations if at least six months have passed since their last dose:
- Individuals aged 70 and over (born in 1951 or earlier);
- Health care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings (including long-term care home and retirement home staff and designated caregivers);
- Individuals who received a complete series of a viral vector vaccine (two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen vaccine); and
- First Nation, Inuit and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous household members.
Booster doses are being offered to these groups based on evidence of gradual waning immunity six months after receiving their second dose and a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
Starting on Saturday, November 6 at 8:00 a.m., eligible individuals will be able to book their booster dose appointment through the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre, directly through public health units that use their own booking systems, through Indigenous-led vaccination clinics, select pharmacies, and primary care settings. Hospital-based health care workers are encouraged to reach out to their hospital employer to get vaccinated directly through their hospital’s vaccination program.
Locations and timing for booster doses may vary by public health unit based on local planning and considerations.
