MLHU says 10-20% of those eligible have booked a third COVID-19 vaccine shot

Since expanding booster shot eligibility, the Middlesex London Health Unit is reporting 4,000 to 6,000 appointments have been booked within the first three weeks.

During the Thursday COVID-19 media briefing, MLHU associate medical officer of health, Dr. Alex Summers, noted that the readiness to book a third shot for those eligible is less than when people got a first or second dose.

Dr. Summers said between 10 to 20 per cent of those eligible to receive a booster shot have booked an appointment.

“You have great protection against hospitalization and death, but that booster dose will provide additional protection against getting it and transmitting it to others.”

The health unit expanded eligibility for booster shots on Nov. 3, with appointments available in a three-week time period.

Those eligible for a booster shot include those born in or before 1951 (70 and over) and health-care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings (including long-term care home staff).

Those who received a complete series of a viral vector vaccine, meaning those who have two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) vaccine, are also considered high risk.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous household members are also now eligible for a booster shot.

People within an eligible age group are required to wait six months after receiving their second dose before booking a third shot appointment.

“What we are experiencing is less of a surge and more of a steady demand, we anticipate demand will rise as more and more people become eligible,” Summers said.

When asked if three doses would become the new standard for being fully vaccinated, Summers said he was unsure but it could happen, similar to people needing a flu shot every year.