MLHU Says 10-20% of Eligible Have Booked Third COVID-19 Vaccine Injection – London | The Canadian News

Since eligibility for the booster shot was expanded, the Middlesex London Health Unit reports that 4,000 to 6,000 appointments have been booked within the first three weeks.

During Thursday’s COVID-19 press conference, MLHU Associate Medical Health Officer Dr. Alex Summers noted that the provision to reserve a third injection for those eligible is less than when people received a first or second dose. .

Dr. Summers said that between 10 and 20 percent of people eligible to receive a booster shot have booked an appointment.

“It has great protection against hospitalization and death, but that booster dose will provide additional protection against infection and transmission to other people.”

The health unit expanded eligibility for booster shots on November 3, with appointments available within a three-week period.

Those eligible for a booster shot include those born in 1951 or earlier (age 70 and older) and healthcare workers and designated essential caregivers in congregated settings (including long-term care home staff).

Those who received a full series of a viral vector vaccine, that is, those who have two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen vaccine (Johnson and Johnson), are also considered high risk.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis adults and non-indigenous household members are now also eligible for a booster shot.

People within an eligible age group must wait six months after receiving their second dose before booking an appointment for the third injection.

“What we are experiencing is less of a sudden spike and more of a steady demand, we anticipate that demand will increase as more and more people become eligible,” said Summers.

When asked if three doses would become the new standard for being fully vaccinated, Summers said he wasn’t sure, but it could happen, similar to people who need a flu shot every year.