With cold and flu season starting this fall, Public Health is encouraging people who qualify for their reminder to start making appointments as early as Monday, September 19. Chief Medical Officer for Health Dr Janice Fitzgerald says around 60,000 doses are due to arrive initially, with more doses expected in the coming weeks. Because initial supplies will be limited, they limit eligibility to certain high-risk groups. This includes adults aged 65 and over, residents of long-term care or assisted living facilities, residents of Indigenous and marginalized communities, and those aged 12 and over who have underlying medical conditions that make them more vulnerable. In the meantime, Fitzgerald says everyone 5 and older who has been at least 20 weeks since their last booster should make an appointment for either the traditional dose or the new bivalent vaccine. He asks those eligible for the bivalent vaccine to be patient, especially when making an appointment with their local pharmacy or doctor, as initial shipments are limited. It will be available from September 21, but pharmacies and doctors are being asked to book their vaccine clinics before ordering their supply, “so please be patient,” urges Fitzgerald. Flu shots, which can be given at the same time as the COVID booster, will be available later this fall.
