Ontario expanding fourth vaccine eligibility to adults 18 and over on July 14

With the province well into a new COVID-19 wave driven by an Omicron subvariant, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health announced details about COVID-19 vaccine boosters, set to be made available to adults between the ages of 18 and 59.

Dr. Kieran Moore says beginning on Thursday, people in this age group will be eligible for a new booster if they received their last shot within five months. Every adult over 18 can book a new vaccine appointment through Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination portal at 8 a.m. on July 14.

“We want all Ontarians to have a safe and enjoyable summer,” the top doctor said. “While masking requirements are no longer mandatory in most settings, Ontarians should consider wearing a mask in some indoor, public settings if they are able to.”

Dr. Moore noted that people who don’t have underlying health conditions can choose to wait for the fall when vaccines specifically targeting the Omicron variant may become available. The government is considering a “base strain” vaccine in the fall and an additional strain of an Omicron variant — either the BA.1 or BA.5 subvariant.

“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.

A new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine is anticipated to be approved by Health Canada this fall, which may offer more targeted protection against the Omicron variants.

Dr. Moore’s press conference follows calls for more details on Ontario’s fourth-dose rollout amid a summer wave of virus infections driven by the BA.5 Omicron subvariant.

The chief medical officer of health says the province has entered a new wave but under a smaller trajectory, with the peak set to arrive in the next few weeks. Though it’s an estimate, Dr. Moore said that the province is seeing approximately 5,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, noting that the true count is around three-to-four times what PCR testing reveals.

“Though this wave is expected to be less severe, there are actions we can take to protect our loved ones and our friends,” he said.

Moore says most residents aged 18 to 59 have strong protection against the virus more than six months after their first booster but expanding fourth-dose eligibility will ensure they can make an “informed decision” based on their personal circumstances.

The province’s top doctor confirmed in an interview with CityNews last week that the latest booster shots would be available in July.

In that interview, Dr. Moore said these boosters would not preclude Ontarians from another follow-up shot three months later, as that vaccine would be re-formulated to add additional layers of protection.

Third doses have been available to people 12 and older, and fourth doses are available for people 60 and older or First Nation, Inuit and Metis adults as well as their adult household members.

Immunocompromised people — such as transplant recipients — aged 60 and older and long-term care residents can get the fifth dose.

Dr. Moore said the upcoming second booster shots will be of the original strain and include only Pfizer or Moderna.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has recommended booster shots this fall in advance of a possible COVID wave.

Ontario’s Science Advisory Table published new findings last week, saying the province had “likely entered a wave” of COVID-19, driven by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant.

Dr. Moore says free rapid antigen tests will still be available in grocery stores and pharmacies, among other public settings.

New Omicron mutation spreading globally

Ontario’s decision to expand fourth vaccine dose eligibility comes as a new mutation of the Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly in countries like India.

U.S. scientists say the variant — classified as BA.2.75 — may be able to spread rapidly and get around immunity from vaccines and previous infection.

It’s unclear whether it could cause more severe disease than other Omicron variants, including the globally prominent BA.5. It’s been detected in about 10 countries, including Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada.

Two cases were recently identified on the West Coast of the U.S., and Helix identified a third U.S. case last week.

Ontario’s top doctor says mandatory masking will not be reintroduced despite the province now well into a seventh COVID-19 wave. Dr. Moore noted a difference between past waves in the winter when Omicron was spreading at a dangerous and rapid pace.

“If the capacity of our healthcare system is threatened, we’re not at that point,” Dr. Moore said. “If that is threatened, we could recommend universal masking to the government in every setting.”

The top doctor says the province can endure this smaller wave, noting that Ontario has another week to 10 days to see the maximal effect.

With files from The Canadian Press.