Huron-Perth’s top doctor is encouraging people with compromised immune systems to seek a second COVID-19 booster now that Ontario has broadened access to fourth doses.
Huron-Perth’s top doctor is encouraging people with compromised immune systems to seek a second COVID-19 booster now that Ontario has broadened access to fourth doses.
“A booster provides additional protection after immunity has decreased, especially for those who are more vulnerable to severe illness,” Dr. Miriam Klassen said Wednesday, a few hours after the province announced that all adults in Ontario are now eligible for an additional jab. “If you’re 18 and over and have an immune-compromising condition, I really urge you to consider being vaccinated.”
Ontario has recently been under pressure to expand eligibility for fourth doses beyond people aged 60 and older, immunocompromised individuals and Indigenous adults.
Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief officer of health, said Wednesday the province wanted to encourage the most vulnerable to get boosters and for people to catch up on earlier vaccines before opening up eligibility.
“While my call for arms remains the loudest for the most vulnerable in our communities, we’ve made the decision to expand the eligibility for second boosters,” he said.
Now, anyone aged 18 and older who had their first booster five months ago will be able to book a fourth shot — or second booster — starting on Thursday.
Healthy residents younger than the age of 60 can choose to wait until the fall for a new shot that’s expected to better target Omicron variants, Moore said. Most residents aged 18 to 59 have strong protection against the virus more than six months after their first booster, he added, but expanding fourth-dose eligibility will ensure they can make an “informed decision” based on their personal circumstances, pointing to risk factors like smoking or diabetes.
“It’s not a ‘should,’ it’s absolutely a ‘may’ depending on your personal circumstances,” Moore said. He encouraged Ontarians to speak with their doctors about whether getting a second booster now is right for them.
Vaccine demand in Huron-Perth has recently waned. Only about a third of area residents aged 18-29, half of those aged 40-49, and 60 per cent of those 50-59 have received their first booster, Huron Perth public health data shows.
On Wednesday, Klassen also encouraged people who haven’t yet received a booster to do so.
“We know that that booster is really important to decrease the risk of severe disease, so I do encourage everyone to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations by getting all the doses for which you’re eligible and recommended based on your age and health status,” she said.
The health unit has scheduled additional COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the next two weeks and will continue to offer doses by appointment over the summer. More information is available at hpph.ca/getvaccinated.
Ontario is currently experiencing a summer wave of virus infections driven by the BA.5 Omicron subvariant that Moore said could peak within the next few weeks.
That wave is also building in Huron-Perth.
Klassen said local cases and hospitalizations are on the rise, wastewater signals from both Stratford in Goderich are also up, and so is the number of outbreaks in the region.
Six outbreaks have been added to the health unit’s COVID-19 dashboard since the one declared at Stratford General Hospital last week. Two are located at area long-term care homes and four are located in other congregate living spaces.
Barring a COVID-19 variant capable of evading immunity from vaccinations and infections, future waves aren’t expected to be as severe as they were in the past, Klassen said. Neither the province or the health unit are currently recommending a reintroduction of public-health measures, but Klassen said residents should consider being cautious, especially if their immune systems are vulnerable.
“Although we’ve enjoyed a bit of a lull, this is a time to be reminded that (COVID-19) is still circulating … and on a population level can impact our health system capacity,” she said. “This is a good time for us to be thinking about what steps we can take to decrease the risk for ourselves and everyone else.”