Simcoe Muskoka health unit offering 2nd COVID-19 booster to adults 18 to 59
Simcoe Muskoka health unit offering 2nd COVID-19 booster to adults 18 to 59
The Simcoe Muskoka health unit is now offering fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to a select group.
The health unit noted a summer spike in infections driven by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant, with a 46 per cent uptick in weekly cases locally.
"Eligibility for a second COVID-19 booster dose has expanded to include anyone 18 to 59 years," the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) stated in a release.
Those eligible must have received their first booster dose five months (140 days) or a minimum of three months (84 days) ago.
Health officials say a second booster adds "an extra layer of protection" against COVID-19.
The SMDHU is largely tracking infection rates by wastewater data, with recent samples revealing higher levels in Midland and Orillia compared to late May and early June.
The health unit reports more than half of residents in Simcoe Muskoka have yet to get their booster shot.
"With the rising rate of transmission of the Omicron BA.5 subvariant, and the risk of reinfection, it is extremely important for individuals to firstly ensure that they have the first booster," said Dr. Charles Gardner, SMDHU medical officer of health.
Dr. Gardner added that staying up to date on available vaccines "offers the most important layer of protection and reduces the risk of severe illness and hospitalization if you become infected with COVID-19."
Hospital officials dealing with staffing shortages urged residents to roll up their sleeves to ease the burden on local facilities.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
U.S. authorities are investigating a group of people swimming toward a pod of spinner dolphins off Hawaii's Big Island. The department alleges that the swimmers were 'harassing the pod' as the dolphins were swimming away.
The Conservatives are raising concerns over the appointment of Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc's sister-in-law as the interim federal conflict of interest and ethics commissioner. The government says there is an 'ethical screen' in place to prevent any conflict.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
Two-and-a-half years after it was established, Nova Scotia’s Mass Casualty Commission has recommended sweeping changes to everything from gun control to mental health services, although there’s no guarantee any will ever be implemented.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
A young man found wounded late Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping centre in northeast Montreal is believed to be the victim of an earlier shooting in the same area. Montreal police (SPVM) reported Thursday morning that the 18-year-old man's life was no longer in danger.
A new regulation that comes into effect Thursday in Quebec prohibits the feeding of white-tailed deer outside of hunting season, from Dec. 1 to Aug. 31, except on l'ile d'Anticosti.
Parents had their say at a Vimy Ridge Public School town hall as the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board addressed concerns around harassment and bullying.
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
A coroner has denied a request from a former Toronto police officer to explore a theory that a distraught teen he shot was committing "suicide by cop."
When the store manager at La Noisette Bakery arrived Thursday morning to open the small shop on Oxford Street, she discovered that one of the two large circular windows at the side of their building was shattered.
Train whistles in Walkerville were discussed a committee of council meeting Wednesday night. Residents want the Essex Terminal Railway (ETR) to stop running trains between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
A Saskatoon murder trial is being adjourned to allow police to follow-up on "significant information" that just came to the Crown prosecutor's attention Wednesday.
CTV News has learned a dog that attacked a five-year-old boy last week had been declared dangerous in February 2022, but the city had lost track of the owner a year ago.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
A 2021 plane crash at the Westlock Airport was caused by an "unstable visual approach" to the landing runway, a Transportation Safety Board investigator has found.
The Riverview Hospital itself has been closed for more than a decade, but 289 people are currently receiving treatment for mental health, addictions or both at the old site.
