Starting Thursday, Ontarians between the ages of 18 and 59 who had a first booster shot at least five months ago will be able to make an appointment for a second one. They must also have been at least three months since being infected with COVID-19. In a press conference on Wednesday morning, Dr. Kieran Moore said the extension of eligibility is particularly aimed at adults who have underlying health problems and are at higher risk of serious infection. He said relatively healthy adults who have already had three doses of COVID-19 vaccines may want to wait until the fall, when an Omicron-specific vaccine is expected to be available in Ontario. “This installment is really for those who are vulnerable,” Moore told reporters. Moore said most Ontarians under 60 have strong protection against the virus more than six months after their first booster dose, but expanding eligibility for the fourth dose will ensure they can make an “informed decision” about based on their personal situation, highlighting risk factors such as smoking or diabetes. WATCHES | Moore breaks down who should get a second booster now:
Ontario’s top doctor on who should get a 4th dose of COVID-19 and why some may want to wait
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer, provides advice for Ontarians aged 18+ who may want to book their 4th COVID-19 dose starting July 14. “It’s not a ‘must,’ it’s absolutely a ‘can’ depending on your personal circumstances,” Moore said. People who choose to get the second booster this summer may have to wait five months for their next shots, or three if they are immunosuppressed, though Moore noted that the exact timeline is unclear. Currently, only people aged 60 and over, residents of long-term care or retirement homes and Aboriginal people are among the select groups who can get a second souvenir in the province. Moore previously said the province’s main focus was getting third doses to all eligible adults. About five million Ontarians have yet to receive a first reminder, including about one million people over the age of 50. He reiterated that Ontario’s seventh wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is fueled by the highly contagious Omicron BA.5 subvariant, which is now the dominant strain in the province. “We know it’s summer and people want to get through the pandemic, but it’s a clear reality now that we have to deal with this BA.5 variant,” he said. The surge is expected to peak within the next two weeks, according to Moore, with COVID-related hospitalizations and ICU admissions increasing by then. There are currently no immediate plans to suggest the re-implementation of previous public health measures, but that could change if the healthcare system is “threatened” by COVID-19 imports, Moore said. About 70 per cent of Ontario’s intensive care unit beds are being used, and Moore said he doesn’t expect this surge to hamper the health system’s ability to provide care to those who need it. He also pointed out that curative treatments for COVID like Paxlovid help keep infected people out of the system. Ontario’s hospitals are currently under unprecedented pressure due to a number of factors, including staff attrition and shortages. The province also confirmed today that it will continue to distribute free rapid antigen tests through venues including grocery stores and pharmacies until December 31, 2022. The program was set to end at the end of July.
