Ontario doctors are signalling the Ford government to roll out more COVID-19 boosters for all adults amid other jurisdictions expanding their eligibility.

Currently, in Ontario 4th doses are only for those over 60 years old, Indigenous or immunocompromised.

Since late winter the number of booster jabs administered tapered off and one Ottawa doctor says her clinic had enough supply to offer fourth shots for patients who are at-risk. “Instead of allowing us to do that, Ontario health phoned Ottawa public health and says they rather us throw out that vaccine than use it,” Dr. Nili Kaplan-Mryth said.

Dr. Kaplan-Myrth sent a letter to the Ford government urging to immediately open COVID-19 second boosters (fourth doses) to all Ontarians 18 years and older who received their previous dose at least 5 months ago. Following further rollouts in the U.S. and Quebec which began in May. Dr. Kaplan-Myrth says many of her patients are crossing provincial borders just to obtain them.

Dr. Kaplan-Myrth believes many vials are going to waste and all adults at risk must have access after concerns of waning immunity. She says she plans to appeal to the human rights tribunal.

According to data from public health Ontario 7.4 million people in the province have received one booster. Nearly 90 percent of those jabs were given out at least five months ago or earlier.

The National Advisory Committee on immunization says jurisdictions should plan to offer COVID-19 vaccine boosters to people this fall. Something the Ontario government says it’s looking at, “you’ll hear further about our rollout, in the next little while,” premier Ford said.

The ministry of health wouldn’t tell us how many doses expired this past year but responded to our request for comment by saying there is still sufficient supply and more than 33 million shots were given out.