New COVID-19 vaccines targeting the virus’s Omicron variant are rolling out across the province this week – including in Huron-Perth – starting with residents considered to be the most vulnerable.
Indigenous people and their household members aged 18 and older, immunocompromised people aged 12 and older, pregnant people and health-care workers who are 18 and older are bring prioritized, Huron Perth public health said Monday, following the province’s lead. People can receive the bivalent booster if at least six months have passed since their last dose, regardless of how many shots they have already received.
Other residents aged 18 and older can also begin booking appointments as of Monday, but people outside the highest priority groups won’t be able to schedule a jab before Sept. 26.
Currently booked booster appointments for people outside the priority populations will also be paused until Sept. 26 to accommodate distribution. Booster appointments booked between Sept. 12 to 25 that are being paused due to the change in the vaccine rollout plan will be honoured, the province said, and the bivalent vaccine will be offered to those people.
The availability of the bivalent vaccine in Huron-Perth depends on shipment schedules and supply from the federal government, the health unit noted.
Health Canada authorized Moderna’s bivalent vaccine earlier this month. It targets both the original COVID-19 virus and the Omicron BA.1 subvariant, and also generates a good immune response against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, health officials said.
“Staying up-to-date with vaccination maintains our protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and allows us to safely participate in more activities and safely spend time with the people we love,” said Dr. Miriam Klassen, Huron-Perth’s medical officer of health .
Most people in Huron-Perth can use the province’s online booking system to schedule an appointment at a local vaccine clinic. Health-care workers and pregnant women are exceptions and will instead need to call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s top public health doctor, encouraged people to get the shot in a statement this week that described it as safe and effective protection against variants that are currently circulating in the province.
“As vaccine protection decreases over time, I encourage all Ontarians aged five and over to receive the booster dose they are eligible for,” Moore said.
The latest step in Ontario’s vaccine rollout comes after the province received its first shipment of the shots last week. In July, Ontario started offering fourth COVID-19 vaccine shots to all adult residents.
Moore said at the time that people who got fourth shots in the summer would still be able to receive the bivalent shot months later. The Ministry of Health said the recommended wait between shots is six months from the last booster dose, but the minimum interval is 84 days.
Other provinces have already begun their rollouts of the targeted shot.
Health officials in Huron-Perth reported three new COVID-related deaths during its weekly data update on Wednesday. All three deaths have been connected to an outbreak at Hillside Manor, a long-term care home northwest of Stratford, the health unit confirmed.
There have now been 125 total deaths in Huron-Perth due to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. Five outbreaks were active in the region on Wednesday.
“These and other recent deaths in Huron-Perth due to COVID-19 illustrate that the virus can still lead to serious outcomes, particularly for the elderly,” Klassen said.