Second COVID-19 booster dose eligibility has expanded for all Ontario residents 18 and over.
Bookings for the fourth dose opened Thursday morning.
Expanded eligibility comes as the seventh wave of the pandemic hits Ontario, driven by the highly transmissible Omicron BA.5 sub-variant.
“Fourth doses would help. The problem is getting fourth doses in fast enough to see its impact on the seventh wave, and that would be the challenge,” said Dr. Gerald Evans.
In the KFL&A region, appointments for the second booster are available online.
“We recommend that everyone who is eligible and wishes to receive that fourth dose booster is going to our website, following the links and booking appointments. They will see locations of clinics and sites where they can get the vaccine. the channel through pharmacies is also available,” said Dr. Piotr Oglaza, the region’s medical officer of health.
Health officials recommend waiting five months since your third dose or at least three months after a COVID-19 infection before getting the fourth shot.
Kingston’s medical officer of health says there are some who can wait for a second booster.
“If someone is otherwise healthy and younger, and does not have any life circumstances that would require them to care for vulnerable individuals, they may consider deferring that dose to the fall as well,” said Dr. Oglaza.
Officials say the new sub-variant of Omicron is able to skirt around immunity built up by previous infections or vaccines but the fourth shot provides quick protection.
“If you’ve had three doses and you get a fourth dose, that effect kicks in very quickly. It’s about seven days; it’s pretty quick. It’s not that two weeks thing we talk about with the flu shot, or the two weeks we talked about with first and second doses. That fourth shot gives you a real boost in immunity within seven days of getting that fourth shot,” added Dr. Evans
Dr. Oglaza says those who receive their fourth dose now could also be eligible to receive another dose in the fall, when the province says there will be a combined vaccine with two COVID strains in it to specifically target Omicron.