The Ontario government will be offering the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot to all adults effective September 26, starting with the most vulnerable populations. .“The bivalent COVID-19 booster is a safe and effective way for people to better protect themselves against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variants in Ontario,” said Ontario chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore in a Monday press release. .“As vaccine protection decreases over time, I encourage all Ontarians aged five and over to receive the booster dose they are eligible for.”.Health Canada greenlit a bivalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and directed it be used as a booster shot for people 18 and older on September 1. .READ MORE: Health Canada authorizes first bivalent COVID-19 booster.Bivalent vaccines target the initial COVID-19 virus and the Omicron variant. They are the first of their kind ever authorized in Canada. .Health Canada determined the bivalent vaccines were safe and effective after a thorough, independent scientific review of the evidence. Clinical trials showed a booster dose of this vaccine triggered a strong immune response against the first COVID-19 strain and Omicron. .The release said bivalent COVID-19 booster appointments can be booked for Ontarians 70 years old and older; retirement, long-term care home, and elder care lodge residents; indigenous people; immunocompromised people; pregnant women; and healthcare workers effective Monday. .To prioritize distribution to vulnerable people, the release said new booster appointments for Ontario adults will be paused until September 26. It said Ontarians 18 years old and older who do not belong to a priority population can start booking their appointments now to allow for planning and preparation. .The release went on to say all previous booster appointments booked for Monday to September 25 will be honoured, and the bivalent vaccine will be offered. It added appointments can be booked through the provincial COVID-19 vaccine portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre. .Retirement, long-term care home, and elder care lodge residents can receive their bivalent booster dose through the congregate care home they live in. .The Ontario government said bivalent vaccines can help Ontarians stay safe, healthy, and out of hospitals. .“With the start of the respiratory illness season, it is especially important to make sure people stay up to date with their vaccines,” said Ontario Deputy Premier and Health Minister Sylvia Jones..“COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are the best tool to keep people healthy and out of hospitals, and to ensure Ontario’s economy stays open as kids go back to school and as the weather cools and people spend more time indoors.”.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization said in May repeat booster doses every four months could lead to a weakened immune response in vaccinated people and might be ineffective for new variants..READ MORE: Health agencies warn multiple COVID boosters not an effective approach moving forward.The EMA suggested giving more time between boosters and said the aim should be to time out boosters for the onset of the cold and flu season in each hemisphere..It pointed to current studies showing “a lower risk of being hospitalized after infection with Omicron,” and said the risk is “currently estimated to be between a third and half of the risk with the Delta variant.”
