Ontario cabinet meeting Wednesday to discuss booster capacity expansion | The Canadian News

Ontario’s cabinet will meet Wednesday to discuss efforts to expand the province’s COVID-19 booster vaccine capacity, a government official said.

The official, speaking of background, also said Prime Minister Doug Ford will have an announcement about the booster injections on Wednesday.

The news comes after booster dose eligibility was expanded to people 50 and older in the province this week.

Last week, the government announced that the vaccines will be available to those 18 and older starting January 4.

Read more:

‘Recommendations’ made to Ontario government amid Omicron spread: top doctor

People who are eligible can receive a booster dose about six months (168 days) after their second injection.

It is unclear what exactly will be discussed at the cabinet meeting.

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On Tuesday, the province’s medical director of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, emphasized the importance of booster injections in the fight against the Omicron variant, which he said would soon become dominant in Ontario.

He said that while the vaccines appear to be less effective at preventing the spread of the Omicron variant, they likely still provide strong protection against serious illnesses, especially with a booster shot.

The Omicron variant is believed to be more transmissible than other strains, although its virulence continues to be tested, Moore said.

Moore called for those who are eligible to come forward and get a third dose.

He also said that health officials are working to expand the capacity to administer more COVID vaccines.

“We will do everything we can to rapidly increase capacity in Ontario to ensure that those who are eligible are appointed and protected,” he said.

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“If there is additional capacity and … we have built it and people are not coming, we will open it up to other age groups and expand eligibility.”

Moore also said Tuesday that “recommendations” are being presented to the provincial government to have “a more consistent provincial approach” in the fight against the Omicron variant.

Moore said he believes there will be a discussion “in the next few days about what additional measures we may need, if any, to better protect Ontarians against Omicron.”

It is not clear exactly what will be recommended to the government or if those recommendations will also be reviewed at the cabinet meeting.

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