National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends rapid deployment of a second booster dose for adults 80 and older, as well as long-term care residents
The Ontario and B.C. governments will soon offer fourth vaccine doses to their oldest and most vulnerable citizens, as COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations creep up across the country.
Last week, the Public Health Agency of Canada said a resurgence of COVID-19 is likely to be underway and encouraged Canadians to be vigilant to help curb spread of the latest variant. The latest surge is being partially driven by the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, which is now the dominant version of the virus in several provinces, and the rolling back of public-health restrictions, federal health officials say.
“NACI has recommended that everyone over 80 could be eligible for a fourth dose and our medical advisors have recommended in Ontario that we go to 60 to provide an added level of protection to the residents of Ontario,” she told reporters at Queen’s Park.She said more details on the rollout will be released Wednesday.
“We know that the older we are, the sooner that antibodies will wane,” B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer Bonnie Henry said at a briefing on Tuesday. Despite the trend, British Columbia is moving forward with its plan to eliminate its last public-health requirement aimed at containing the virus: The obligation for patrons to show proof of vaccination before entering public venues such as restaurants and movie theatres will expire.
Dr. Henry said about 50 per cent of B.C.’s population has developed antibodies to the virus through vaccination or infection.