Ottawa said Wednesday it will start immediately offering a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to the city’s most at-risk residents.
Now eligible for a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine are:
- transplant recipients (including solid organ transplant and hematopoietic stem cell transplants)
- patients with hematological cancers (such as lymphoma, myeloma, leukemia) on active treatment (chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy)
- recipients of an anti-CD20 agent (examples include rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab)
Residents who qualify for the followup shot and who want the third dose will need to speak to their doctor or hospital program and request a letter confirming their eligibility.
Ontario opened the door last week for third doses to vulnerable residents, the first province to do so. It followed a similar move from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Third doses can be given at least two months after the second dose. The vaccine used for the second shot will be the same as the one used for the third, the city said in a release.
Those with a doctor’s note on hand can drop in to any community clinic, pop-up clinic or neighbourhood vaccination hub in Ottawa to get the shot.
Residents in long-term care and high-risk retirement homes will be offered a third dose when they’ve reached at least five months after their second shot. Vaccines will be offered directly in these settings.
Ottawa Public Health will hold a call to update local media on the COVID-19 pandemic response locally on Wednesday afternoon.
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