The eligibility age for Covid booster will be lowered from 70 to 50 years old. The province of Ontario in Canada, which has the highest population and the highest number of Covid infections, announced Thursday.
These third shots will be available beginning on December 13, according to a government statement, which also stated that the government intends to further expand eligibility for booster doses in January “based on age and risk.”
“Achieving the highest vaccination rates possible continues to be our most effective tool in protecting us, reducing the risk of COVID booster transmission, and combating the significant increase in new cases as well as the new Omicron variant,” said Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief public health officer.
Ontario has recorded 620,000 Covid infections, accounting for more than one-third of all Covid infections in Canada.
The province of Alberta in the western United States is also lowering the eligibility age for booster shots to 60 years beginning on December 6, and it has stated that it plans to open up third shots to anyone under the age of 18 in the near future, but has not specified a timeline.
This week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that there will be sufficient supplies of booster shots available for the public.
The minister told reporters on Wednesday that Canada has a large supply of vaccines for COVID booster. “We will continue to receive more into the new year. In terms of quantity, we’re in good shape.”
Booster shots for high-risk groups, such as those over the age of 70, are currently recommended by Canada’s national advisory committee on immunisation at least six months after their second dose.
According to the most recent government data, nearly 90 percent of the population of 12 years and older in Canada, or 30 million people, have received at least one Covid vaccine jab in their lifetime. Eighty-six percent of the population has received all of their vaccinations.
