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.
COVID-19 VACCINE CLINICS
The health unit offers COVID-19 shots across the region at appointment-based and walk-in clinics.
GO-VAXX bus clinics also offer third and fourth doses, along with first and second for anyone interested.
Select pharmacies and some health care providers carry vaccine doses.
RECOMMENDED PRECAUTIONS
SMDHU advises sticking with outdoor activities when possible and wearing a mask in indoor public settings to prevent the spread of infection.
It also recommends limiting close contacts, physical distancing from those outside your household and hand washing.
Health officials urge those feeling unwell to remain home and take a rapid antigen test or PCR test, if eligible.
Free rapid home testing kits are available at most grocery stores and pharmacies.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
BREAKING Mounties will not be charged in shooting death of B.C. Indigenous man
Three Mounties in British Columbia will not face charges in the killing of a 38-year-old Indigenous man on Vancouver Island in 2021.