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What London residents need to know about getting the bivalent COVID-19 booster dose

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Starting Monday, Sept. 26 Ontarians aged 18 and older will be eligible to receive the bivalent COVID-19 booster dose.

Booster doses should be given at an interval of six months between completion of a primary series and a first booster dose or between booster doses, according to the Middlesex London Health Unit.

“This is the one that we feel is important to get because this is the one that's been circulating the most in the community,” said Mary Lou Albanese, the Middlesex London health unit’s director of environmental health and infectious disease.

Albanese said as we head into the fall and winter months the health unit is encouraging people to get vaccinated as there are few COVID-19 health measures in place in the province.

“In the coming months, we are going to see an uptick in the disease in the community. And if it's been three-six months since your last dose your immunity has waned which means it’s gone down and you're more apt to pick up respiratory illness.”

Vishal Mehta, a pharmacist at Yurek pharmacy in London told CTV News that they have seen less of a demand for people looking to get their booster doses.

However, people have begun to have more questions about this particular vaccine, Mehta said.

“The bivalent vaccine that we’re offering is showing to be more effective against the omicron which is the BA.1 and the BA.4,BA. 5 variant and continues to be more effective against the original variants as well,” said Mehta.

As of Friday, bivalent COVID-19 booster dose appointments are still available to “highest risk populations” including:

  • Individuals aged 70 and over
  • Residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, and individuals living in other congregate settings that provide assisted-living and health services
  • First Nation, Inuit, and Métis individuals and their non-Indigenous household members aged 18 and over
  • Moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals aged 12 and over
  • Pregnant individuals aged 18 and over
  • Health care workers aged 18 and over.

The bivalent vaccine is currently available at the Agriplex Mass Vaccination Clinic until Thursday, Sept. 29. The bivalent vaccine is available at all MLHU clinic sites including the Health Unit’s Mass Vaccination Clinic at the Caradoc Community Centre in Mount Brydges and its Community COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics.

Appointments are required to receive a dose of bivalent vaccine at these locations and can be booked online or by calling 226-289-3560. 

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