COVID-19: Booster Dose Reservations Starting Dec 13 for Seniors 50+ in London-Middlesex: MLHU – London | The Canadian News

London and Middlesex residents who are 50 and older will be eligible to book appointments to receive a third injection of the COVID-19 vaccine starting on December 13, officials from the Middlesex-London Health Unit said.

The eligibility update comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases locally and across the province, as well as concerns about the new Omicron variant.

Those who book a booster dose at a local mass vaccination clinic must have received their second dose at least six months or 24 weeks before the date of their third dose appointment, according to the health unit.

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The announcement, made during Thursday’s COVID-19 press conference by Dr. Alex Summers, the region’s associate medical officer for health, came as Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer for health, made a similar statement during a press conference in Toronto.

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“I would highlight that vaccines are also available at participating pharmacies, of which there are many in our community, as well as through participating primary care clinics,” Summers said, adding that those five to 11 would be prioritized at the clinics. of mass vaccination. since they have just started receiving their first doses.

As of Wednesday, nearly 11,000 appointments had been booked between the ages of five to 11, he said, representing nearly 30 percent of eligible people in that age category.

“We have capacity and we will have increasing capacity during January and February for everyone who is eligible for a booster dose,” Summers said. More people are expected to be eligible based on age and COVID-19 risk next month.

“The advantage and benefits of the booster dose are that it will essentially help … boost your immunity in that six-month interval,” Summers said.

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Summers also alluded to the findings of a recently published peer-reviewed study that found that delaying the second dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine created a stronger immune response than two doses given more together.

“We are fortunate here in Canada (that) as a result of that delayed second dose interval … we have seen sustained immunity not only against infections and diseases, but also sustained immunity not only against infections and diseases, but also against hospitalization. and the death that has occurred. sustained up to eight months, ”he said.

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“This booster dose just provides that extra boost in immunity that will hopefully help with added protection during the holiday season and through the winter.”

Other individuals are also eligible to receive the third booster dose if they are under 50 years of age. The health unit says that those eligible include health workers; First Nations, Inuit and Métis adults, including non-indigenous household members; and people who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine.

Members of the public who are immunosuppressed are also eligible to receive the booster shot. The health unit says they can receive the third prick two months after the second dose instead of six months.

Data released Tuesday showed that roughly 90 percent of people 12 and older in the region had received at least one dose as of Nov. 27, and 87.5 percent had received two. Adjusted to include the five to 11, who started getting the injection last week, the percentages are 83.3 and 80.0, respectively.

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Requests for residents to receive the booster shot come as the health unit has seen a recent spike in local COVID-19 cases and health officials across the country are expressing concern about the Omicron variant.

No cases related to the variant have yet been confirmed in London-Middlesex, however at least five have been confirmed in Ontario as of Thursday: four in Ottawa and one in the Durham region.

As of Thursday, the seven-day case average for London and Middlesex was 18.9, up from 16.9 a week ago and 13.1 two weeks ago, according to data from the health unit. The average has been falling steadily since the end of August, but has been trending up since the beginning of the month.

“Today we report 27 new cases and our incidence rate in seven days has risen to 24.7 per 100,000 people. This is a notable increase in the last number of weeks in our seven-day incidence rate, ”Summers said Thursday.

“While in the early fall, incidence rates were highest among those under 11, now we see cases increasing proportionally between 18 and 39.”

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Summers attributed the rise in cases among people 18 to 39 to a growing number of indoor gatherings due to colder weather, particularly those involving people who have not received the COVID-19 vaccine.

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“We are not only seeing cases among those who are not vaccinated, we are also seeing cases among vaccinated individuals, but the rate is still significantly higher among the unvaccinated,” he said.

“Also, people who are not vaccinated are much more likely to end up in the hospital or with severe symptoms associated with COVID 19.”

Last week, the health unit issued an advisory urging Londoners to celebrate the approaching Christmas season safely, keeping gatherings small and making sure those involved are vaccinated.

The health unit has partnered with CF Masonville Place to run a walk-in vaccination clinic at the mall during the month of December. The clinic opened on Wednesday and will run five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, through New Year’s Eve.

– with files from The Canadian Press

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