Ontario offers bivalent COVID-19 booster dose to Ontarians aged 18 and over

Ontario announced it is offering the bivalent COVID-19 booster dose to all Ontarians aged 18 and over, beginning with the most vulnerable populations.

Starting today, bivalent COVID-19 booster appointments will be available to and can be booked for the most vulnerable populations including:

• Individuals aged 70 and over;
• residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, Elder Care Lodges and individuals
• living in other congregate settings that provide assisted-living and health services;
• First Nation, Inuit and Métis individuals and their non-Indigenous household members aged 18 and over;
• moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals aged 12 and over;
• pregnant individuals aged 18 and over; and
• health care workers aged 18 and over.

To prioritize distribution to these populations, the province says new booster appointments for Ontarians aged 18 and over will be paused until September 26.

“The bivalent COVID-19 booster is a safe and effective way for people to better protect themselves against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variants in Ontario,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health, in a statement. “As vaccine protection decreases over time, I encourage all Ontarians aged five and over to receive the booster dose they are eligible for.”

Individuals can receive the bivalent booster at the recommended interval of at least six months from their previous dose, regardless of how many boosters they have already received.

Appointments can be booked through the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre (PVCC) at 1-833-943-3900. Eligible individuals can also book an appointment directly through public health units that use their own booking systems, Indigenous-led vaccination clinics, participating health care providers and participating pharmacies. Pregnant individuals and health care workers booking from September 12 to 25 must call the PVCC or book booster dose appointments through participating pharmacies.

Long-term care, retirement home and Elder Care Lodge residents may receive their bivalent booster dose directly through the congregate home where they live.