All Ontario residents 18 years and over will be eligible for the new bivalent COVID-19 booster as of September 26th, but appointments can be made as of today.
The bivalent booster is an adapted version of the original Moderna mRNA vaccine, and targets both the original strain of COVID-19 as well as the Omicron variant.
As of 8 a.m. today, the government opened priority appointments for vulnerable populations, which include:
-individuals aged 70 and over
-residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, Elder Care Lodges 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
Residents who are not in the vulnerable population group can book their vaccine today, but they won't be able to get an appointment until September 26th to allow the most at-risk residents to be immunized first.
All previously-booked booster appointments for September 12 to 25 will be honoured and, if available, the bivalent vaccine will be offered.
Individuals can receive the bivalent booster at the recommended interval of at least six months from their previous dose, regardless of how many boosters they have already received.
Appointments can be booked through the COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre (PVCC) at 1-833-943-3900.