Ontarians Over The Age Of 5 Are Eligible For Their Bivalent Booster & Here's When To Book

Ontario has opened up the eligibility for the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot to include children as young as 5 years old.

In an announcement Thursday morning, the government confirmed new vaccine appointments for those children will be available, starting December 21, following Health Canada's approval of the vaccine earlier this month for anyone between the ages of 5 and 11.

"As the weather gets colder and more people spend time with their loved ones indoors this holiday season, vaccination remains the most effective way we can protect ourselves from the most serious effects of COVID-19 and influenza," said Sylvia Jones, Ontario's Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, in a press release. "Vaccines provide strong protection against severe illness from COVID-19 and its variants and will help ease pressures on our hospitals and emergency departments."

In order to be eligible for a bivalent booster, someone must have completed their primary series of vaccines, which means having received at least two doses.

It's recommended that anyone not at high risk of severe COVID-19 illness get the bivalent booster six months after their previous vaccine. That bumps up to three months for anyone deemed to be high-risk.

Regardless of the risk, the government still recommends that everyone stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and also get their flu shot this season, both of which you can receive at the same time.

"COVID-19 vaccines continue to protect Ontarians from COVID-19 and its variants," said Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health. "Vaccines are safe, they improve your immune response and reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and post-infection symptoms."

Anyone looking to book an appointment for their latest COVID-19 vaccination can do so through Ontario's online booking portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre (PVCC) at 1-833-943-3900.