COVID-19 booster eligibility expanded; Shahab looking toward the fall

As of Monday, fourth-dose eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines is being expanded to people 18 years and older in Saskatchewan.

The province has said anyone who received their third dose at least four months ago is now eligible.

Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab, says with waning immunity, it made sense to increase people’s second booster eligibility heading into the fall.

“Over June and July, transmission rates went really down, but now in August as our transmission rate is slightly picking up, there was interest from people in getting that second booster, their fourth dose,” Shahab said. “So that’s why we thought it was important to make that available.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) made its booking system available on Friday.

Prior to the change on Monday,  the second booster was available to people 50 years and older or people 18 and older working in long-term care facilities or other buildings interacting closely with seniors.

As summer wraps up in a little over a month, Shahab is glad more people will now have access to extra protection if they want it.

“School is starting, people may have people at high risk at home because if you’re immunocompromised, regardless of age, you can get an additional dose,” he said. “If you live with people at high risk, or work in health care or long-term care, getting that second booster will be helpful.

“I think it’s really good that this is available.”

Shahab says there is no shortage of vaccines in the province, meaning there won’t be any issues meeting the demand that the expanded eligibility might present.

When it comes to vaccines for children, Shahab says the uptake has been lower for school-aged children than what he would like, but he is hopeful it will pick up more closely to the start of the school year.

“I will still recommend that it’s really important to reduce transmission when we go back to school and daycares. Beyond that, I think at this point, it’s up to parents and children if they feel more comfortable wearing a mask,” Shahab claimed.

“We’ve learned a lot from the winter season. In Australia, for example, they’ve seen with no public health measures all the respiratory viruses come back like influenza, other coughs and colds (and) COVID.

“We do expect the usual coughs and colds going around, including COVID. Obviously, if there’s more transmission in schools, that may be an opportunity for more mask use, but really it just remains a recommendation for parents, children, and staff to choose.”

In the months ahead, Shahab is hopeful to see the emergence of a new vaccine in Canada, which could offer even greater protection.

“We are aware that in Canada and the U.S., there are plans in the fall to possibly have a vaccine that will have the original strain and one of the Omicron strains,” he said. “Obviously, we look forward to that vaccine being available.

“If you want to get the second booster now, that’s fine, If you’d rather wait until the fall and see if this other vaccine is available to get your second booster, that’s fine.”