Ontario’s top doctor to announce expanded eligibility for 3rd COVID dose booster shots

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health is set to hold a press conference Thursday afternoon on expanding COVID-19 booster dose eligibility in the province.

Dr. Kieran Moore is scheduled to speak at 2 p.m.

Moore said earlier this week that an “accelerated third dose strategy” would be part of the new measures the province could introduce as a way to fight the new variant, Omicron.

Alberta announced Wednesday it was expanding booster shots to all adults aged 18 and older.

Third doses were already available in late summer for those high-risk populations such as transplant recipients, patients with hematological cancers on active treatment, recipients of an anti-CD20 agent, residents of long-term care homes and retirements homes, those in First Nations eldercare lodges and seniors in congregate settings.

In early November, third doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were then further expanded for seniors aged 70 and older, those who previously got two doses of AstraZeneca, health care workers among others.

So far, 86 per cent of Ontarians aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated and almost 90 per cent have at least one dose. Starting last week, pediatric shots of Pfizer began going into arms of children aged five to 11 after it was approved by Health Canada.

— with files from Don Mitchell

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