Fourth Doses Of A COVID-19 Vaccine Are Available To Some Ontarians & Here's Who's Eligible

Ontario has announced that fourth doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are becoming available to some residents effective immediately.

In a press conference on Thursday, Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, announced that residents of long-term care homes, Elder Care Lodges, retirement homes and other congregate care settings are now eligible to get their fourth shot once three months (or 84 days) have passed since receiving their third.

On top of this, third doses will become mandatory for all staff, students, volunteers, support workers and caregivers who work in long-term care settings and who are currently eligible for a booster. These individuals must receive their third dose by January 28.

The Ontario government made third doses available for vulnerable populations such as long-term care homes and some retirement homes in August 2021 and has since upped booster eligibility.

On December 20, booster doses became available to anyone 18 years and older in the province in response to the climbing case counts and the Omicron variant.

Ontario's daily COVID-19 case counts have broken records five times in just over a week, with the current record from Thursday standing at 13,806 reported COVID-19 cases — the highest daily case count since the beginning of the pandemic.

As of December 30 at 10:30 a.m., 81.3% of people in Ontario five years and older are fully vaccinated with two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 87% of the same age group have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Ontario government.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.