THE COUNTIES, Ontario - The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) is offering bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines to all individuals aged 12 and up at its vaccination clinics. Bivalent vaccines provide protection against the original strain of COVID-19 as well as the currently circulating Omicron subvariants.
With Health Canada’s recent approval of Pfizer’s bivalent vaccine, individuals aged 12 and up who have completed their primary vaccine series can now receive a bivalent booster. Moderna’s bivalent booster, which was approved in September, can continue to be administered to individuals aged 18 and up.
The bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines are available through primary healthcare providers, participating pharmacies, and by appointment at the EOHU’s community clinics. Appointments can be booked online at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900 starting on October 17.
It is recommended that individuals receive their bivalent booster dose at an interval of 6 months following their last COVID-19 vaccine. However, those who wish to receive it sooner may do so if it has been a minimum of 3 months since their last dose. Individuals who are 65 years and older, at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness, or immunocompromised, are strongly encouraged to get a bivalent booster dose at a shortened interval of 3 months.
“Now that we have access to two different kinds of bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines, my advice to the public is to get the first one that is available to you,” says Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, Medical Officer of Health at the EOHU. "As we head into the winter months and the level of respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 is expected to increase, the bivalent vaccine will provide you with an added layer of protection against the currently circulating Omicron subvariants and help prevent severe disease if you do get infected with COVID-19.”
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.EOHU.ca/vaccines.