Toronto 
Ontario is expanding the eligibility for a 3rd dose or booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine beginning this Saturday.
Ontario will be providing Moderna or Pfizer vaccines as a third or booster dose.
Those aged 70+, Health care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings, First Nation, Inuit and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous household members are among the eligible groups who will be able to book their booster dose starting November 6th, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. provided at least six months have passed since their last dose.
Those who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen vaccine are also eligible for an additional dose of mRNA vaccine.
Ontario is also preparing to gradually roll out booster doses to all Ontarians aged 12 and over starting January 2022.
Children 5 to 11 years of age will be given the COVID-19 vaccine once Health Canada approves it for the said age group.
WHO CAN BOOK BOOSTER DOSES STARTING NOVEMBER 6th:
Booster doses are being offered to the groups based on evidence of gradual waning immunity six months after receiving their second dose and a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19:
Ontario.ca
- Individuals aged 70 and over (born in 1951 or earlier);
- Health care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings (including long-term care home and retirement home staff and designated caregivers);
- Individuals who received a complete series of a viral vector vaccine (two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen vaccine); and
- First Nation, Inuit and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous household members.
LIST OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS ELIGIBLE FOR A THIRD DOSE:
All hospital and acute care staff including:
- Critical Care Units, Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Departments, COVID-19 Medical Units, Code Blue Teams, rapid response teams
- General internal medicine and other specialists, Surgical care, Obstetrics
- All patient-facing health care workers/staff involved in the COVID-19 response:
- COVID-19 Specimen Collection Centers, COVID-19 Isolation Centers
- Mobile Testing Teams, COVID-19 Laboratory Services, Teams supporting outbreak response (e.g., IPAC teams supporting outbreak management, inspectors in the patient environment)
- COVID-19 vaccine clinics and mobile immunization teams
- Current members of Ontario’s Emergency Medical Assistance Team
(EMAT)
- Medical First Responders (ORNGE, paramedics, firefighters providing medical first response, police and special constables providing medical first response as part of their regular duties).
- Health care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings (assisted living, correctional settings, shelters, LTCHs/RHs, supportive housing, hospices and palliative care settings, etc.)
- Home and community health care workers, providing in-person care, including:
- Needle exchange/syringe programs & supervised consumption and
treatment services
- Needle exchange/syringe programs & supervised consumption and
- Indigenous health care service providers including but not limited to: Aboriginal Health Access Centers, Indigenous Community Health Centers, Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Teams, and Indigenous Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics
- Community health centres, chronic homecare, birth centres, dentistry and dental hygiene, Pharmacies, Primary care, Walk-in clinics, gynecology/obstetrics, Midwifery, Nurse practitioner-led clinics/Contract nursing agencies, Otolaryngology (ENT), medical and surgical specialities, medical transport, laboratory services, independent health facilities, health care providers in developmental services, mental health and addictions services.
- Health care workers in schools/daycare/campus, sexual health clinics, community diagnostic imaging, dietary/nutrition, audiology, naturopathy, holistic care, chiropractic, chronic pain clinics, kinesiology/physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychiatry, acupuncture, registered massage therapy, psychotherapy, social work, public health.
HOW TO BOOK A THIRD DOSE/BOOSTER DOSE:
Starting on Saturday, November 6 at 8:00 a.m., eligible individuals will be able to book their booster dose appointment at an interval of six from the second dose.:
- through the COVID-19 vaccination portal
- by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre — 1-833-943-3900
- directly through public health units that use their own booking systems
- through Indigenous-led vaccination clinics
- select pharmacies,
- primary care settings.
- Hospital-based health care workers are encouraged to reach out to their hospital employer to get vaccinated directly through their hospital’s vaccination program.
More details and vaccine dosage recommendations are given here.
