REGINA — More Saskatchewan residents are now able to receive a COVID-19 booster shot, as public health has extended the eligibility requirements, effective immediately.
Beginning Dec. 7, anyone aged 50 years or older in the province or anyone born in 2009 or earlier with underlying health conditions that make them clinically vulnerable can now get a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Individuals over the age of 18 living in the far north or in First Nation communities are also now eligible, alongside all health care workers in the province.
Public health has also altered the required interval between initial and booster doses, decreasing from the previous six months required to five months.
Chief medical health officer Dr. Saquib Shahab said that the decision to lessen the required period between doses follows investigation into vaccine efficacy in Saskatchewan residents.
Shahab said analysis of public health data on breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals showed that residents in the 60-80 year old demographic were more likely to exhibit waning immunity despite being vaccinated.
“As people were nearing five months, although small, we were seeing a definite signal of increase in breakthrough cases, mostly mild but a few resulting in hospitalizations,” said Shahab.
For this reason, he said booster doses are the most effective solution to keep up protection against COVID-related illness.
“We hope that this will allow many people who are still, in some ways protected from COVID, to boost their immunity and further reduce the risk of mild illness [and] breakthrough illness that can result in serious outcomes,” said Shahab.
Appointments for booster doses are now available to book through the Saskatchewan Health Authority, as well as Indigenous Services Canada and Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority clinics.
Participating pharmacies are also delivering boosters, following public health requirements.
The province currently has 530,000 vaccine doses on hand to deliver as part of the program, and an estimated 350,000 additional residents will now qualify to receive a booster dose with today’s announcement.
Shahab said that booster uptake so far is currently hovering around 60 per cent. Future plans for the booster program also include a tentative timeline to make booster doses available to all residents over age 18 by January.
