Ontario Is Expanding Its COVID-19 Booster Doses To Even More People & Here's When

More people will soon be eligible to receive their third dose of COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.

On December 2, the provincial government revealed that it will be broadening its eligibilities for booster doses to Ontarians 50-years-old and over, as well as more people who are at a high risk of getting severely sick if they contract the virus.

As of December 13, at 8:00 a.m., anyone in that new age group will be able to start booking their appointments through Ontario's COVID-19 vaccine portal, by going through the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre or through Indigenous-led vaccine clinics, participating pharmacies and primary care settings. Bookings can be made six months (or 168 days) following their second dose.

Effective immediately, anyone who is getting dialysis is also able to get their booster doses so long that 56 days have passed since their second COVID-19 vaccine dose.

"Also effective immediately, the province is recommending re-vaccination with a new COVID-19 vaccine primary series post-transplantation for individuals who receive hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT), hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT) (autologous or allogeneic), and recipients of CAR-T-cell therapy, due to the loss of immunity following therapy or transplant," government officials wrote in the announcement.

Come January, the provincial government will add even more people to the list of eligibilities, which will largely be based on age and risk. This will also include a time gap of six to eight months following second doses.

“If you are eligible for a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, please book your appointment as soon as you can to provide yourself with an extra layer of protection,” Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore said.

According to the provincial government, as of today, 87% of Ontarians 12-years-old and older have received their second COVID-19 doses.