What Ottawa residents need to know about the bivalent COVID-19 booster

Ottawa’s health officer is urging residents to “get all of their eligible booster doses” this fall, with the new COVID-19 bivalent booster dose now available in Ontario.

Vulnerable Ontarians 18 and older are now eligible to receive the bivalent COVID-19 booster dose, with eligibility expanding to all residents on September 26.

dr Vera Etches says Ottawa Public Health welcomes the bivalent COVID-19 booster dose amid “ongoing COVID-19 activity in our community and potential increases this fall.”

“The bivalent COVID-19 booster is another layer that we can use to increase protection against the COVID-19 variants recently circulating in Ontario,” said Dr. Etches in a statement.

“As vaccination protection and immunity to prior infections decrease over time, I strongly encourage all Ottawa residents to receive all booster doses they are eligible for ahead of a potentially active flu and respiratory disease season in our community.”

Ottawa Public Health will prioritize rollout of the booster dose in communities at highest risk for serious illness, complications and hospitalizations from COVID-19.

Who is eligible for the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine today?

Bivalent COVID-19 refresher appointments will be available for “top-risk populations” starting Tuesday. The group includes:

• people over 70 years of age

• Residents of nursing homes, retirement homes, and those living in other residential communities that provide assisted living and healthcare services

• First Nation, Inuit and Métis people and their non-Indigenous household members 18 years and older

• Moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals 12 years and older

• Pregnant women over the age of 18

• Healthcare workers aged 18 and over.

When will the general population in Ottawa be eligible for the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine?

Ottawa residents ages 18 to 69 can start booking their COVID-19 vaccination appointment for September 26 and beyond, now, according to Ottawa Public Health.

The availability of these appointments is dependent on the supply of bivalent vaccine.

All previously booked booster appointments for September 12-25 will be honored and the bivalent vaccine will be offered to eligible customers where available, the health department said.

COVID-19 bivalent vaccination interval

Ottawa Public Health recommends an interval of at least 168 days between your last dose of COVID-19 vaccine and your fall booster dose to optimize immune response and duration of protection.

Individuals may choose to receive the bivalent booster as early as 84 days after their last dose with informed consent.

If you have recently tested positive for COVID-19 by a rapid PCR or antigen test, it is recommended that you wait 84 days from the onset of your symptoms or test positive before receiving the bivalent booster vaccine.

How do I book an appointment?

Ottawa residents who meet eligibility criteria can book their bivalent booster dose through the COVID-19 Vaccine Portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Center at 1-833-943-3900.

Selected pharmacies will also offer the bivalent vaccine.

What is the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine?

Health Canada approved Moderna’s bivalent Omicron-containing mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

It protects people from two strains of COVID-19 – the original strain and the Omicron variant.

With files by Katherine DeClerq of CTV News Toronto