Ontario still does not allow most adults under the age of 60 to receive a fourth COVID-19 vaccine, contrasting with the United States and Quebec and prompting a doctor to prepare legal action to get the province to expand eligibility.
Given the demonstrated weakening of the mRNA vaccine’s ability to prevent infection three to four months after injection, coupled with increased transmissibility of the now-dominant BA.5 Omicron variant, ordinary Ontario residents who currently do not are eligible for a fourth dose, especially workers, they are asking for the opportunity to receive another opportunity.
Ottawa family doctor Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth says she registered 730 people to come to her office for a fourth dose of COVID-19 last week.
“But then I got a call from Ottawa Public Health on Friday, saying that the Ministry of Health told them not to expand eligibility for the fourth dose, unless they are indigenous, immunocompromised or live in a congregate setting, so I had to cancel,” Kaplan-Myrth told CP24.
He said many of his patients travel to Quebec, where anyone over the age of 18 can get a fourth shot provided that three months have elapsed since its last.
In a letter sent to the Ford government this week, he implored the province to lower age eligibility below 60.
“People are going to get COVID-19 two or three times, many of our patients who work in the community and who have children and that vaccine that we gave them in December or January 1, we could give them another vaccine to overcome them. to October,” she said.
October is around the time that Canada’s Chief Medical Officer and the National Advisory Council on Immunization are telling provinces to launch booster dose campaigns, ahead of an expected wave of COVID-19 transmission.
Ontario COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Board Dr. Fahad Razak told CP24 there is evidence to support an immediate expansion of vaccine eligibility, but also plenty of evidence to suggest the province should wait until the fall.
“I understand and respect the voices on both sides here, but I really think we are in a period of scientific uncertainty.”
He said officials are likely in a waiting game, looking at trends, some of which suggest a recent spike in COVID-19 transmission in Ontario, to determine when it would be best to make the fourth dose available to everyone. grown ups.
“You want protection to line up when cases are most prevalent. Ideally, you wouldn’t get an additional vaccine for three to six months, and we have the next generation of vaccines due in the fall, it’s basically July already,” she said.
If Ontario doesn’t expand eligibility, Kaplan-Myrth says she and her attorney, Mark Bourrie, will file a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal this week.
“It’s crazy to let this stuff go to waste, the people of Ontario already paid for this stuff,” Bourrie told CP24. “It would be a shame to tie people up and waste taxpayer money on litigation when such a sensible alternative exists.”
Since December 2020, Ontario has received 2.4 million more doses of COVID-19 than it has administered.
It’s unclear how many of those doses are still viable, but most provinces told the federal government to stop sending them vaccines in 2021 as they had more doses than they could use.
CP24 has repeatedly asked the Ontario Ministry of Health how many of those 2.4 million doses were wasted during administration or expired in freezers over the last six months.
Each time, the ministry has refused to respond.
“It seems like no reporter can see how many vials of vaccine there are with a July expiration date,” Kaplan-Myrth said.
The Health Ministry declined to say whether there is an imminent plan to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for the fourth dose, but Prime Minister Doug Ford told reporters Thursday morning that “you will be hearing more about our launch.” (of the fourth dose) in the next few minutes.”
For Dr. Doris Grinspun, executive director of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, there is little time to wait.
“The nurses ask us, do they want a fourth booster and they don’t want it to be based on age,” she said. “We should open it up before we get further into this situation with more people infected.”
So far, Ontario nurses have been driving to Michigan, New York or Quebec for a fourth dose.
“It’s terrible, how many can go to Quebec and Michigan, it’s terrible for them and it’s terrible for the patients, that’s why it needs to be open.”
Kaplan-Myrth says she has more than 80 patients and other supporters behind her effort to expand eligibility.
Some are immunocompromised, others work in healthcare, more are in essential, in-person workplaces where they see hundreds of people a day.
If the data were better and clearer, Razak says every jurisdiction in the world with reservations would rush to give everyone the fourth dose.
“Let’s say there was a conclusive article in the New England Journal of Medicine about the benefits of a fourth dose: we would all do it immediately.”
In the meantime, Razak said the public should make sure they have all the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine they are eligible for today, mask in indoor spaces and outdoor gatherings.
“All of those things, they give you protection regardless of your vaccine status.”