Ontarians Aged 5 and up Can Get Bivalent COVID-19 Booster From December 21

Following the approval of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11, Ontario residents five and up will be able to book appointments from December 21. Health Canada approved the booster which is an updated version of the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine on December 9. Appointments can be made online or by calling the associated institute.

The bivalent COVID-19 shot that has been approved by Health Canada targets the current Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. Through a press release, officials announced that all Ontarians aged five and over will be eligible to book an appointment for the bivalent booster dose starting December 21. The release also strongly encourages all Ontarians to keep up with their vaccinations to restore their protection.

Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, said, “As the weather gets colder and more people spend time with their loved ones indoors this holiday season, vaccination remains the most effective way we can protect ourselves from the most serious effects of COVID-19 and influenza.”

Appointments can be booked through the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre (PVCC) at 1-833-943-3900. Ontarians can book an appointment if it has been six months since their last dose. Those at high risk of severe COVID-19 illness should get the booster three months after their last dose.

The release adds, “To help keep everyone as healthy as possible this respiratory illness season, Ontarians should stay home when they are feeling sick and practice good hand hygiene. It is also strongly recommended that Ontarians wear face masks in indoor public settings, or where it feels right for them.”

Notably, fu shots can be safely administered at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine or at any time before or after. Appointments for flu shots can be made through Toronto Public Health’s portal.

Canada is dealing with a healthcare crisis owing to the surge in patients with respiratory illnesses. This flu season has hit the country hard and staff shortages are leaving many hospitals overwhelmed. Toronto’s SickKids recently shared that it is having to transfer two to eight children daily on average to other hospitals because it cannot offer them the care that they need.

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