Getting and staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines is your best defence against infection and severe outcomes from the virus.
“Public Health strongly recommends that all eligible residents get up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines to ensure they have the best available protection against severe illness and death and to help maintain the progress that’s been made in combating COVID-19,” said Grey Bruce Health Unit Physician Consultant Dr. Rim Zayed. “This summer is the ideal time to get up to date as early indications and data suggest another wave of cases is possible this fall.”
To support residents in getting up to date, the Grey Bruce Health Unit is holding COVID-19 vaccine clinics in various communities this summer.
Public Health is also partnering with GO-VAXX to provide supplementary clinics this summer and fall in parts of Grey-Bruce with lower vaccine uptake.
A full list of vaccine clinics is available online by visiting https://www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/Portals/0/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/COVID19/Weekly_Vaccine_Schedule.pdf, and will be updated as more clinics are added.
COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters, are also available at many local pharmacies and via primary care providers.
For individuals aged 12 to 59, getting up to date means receiving a primary vaccine series and booster dose. A second booster is recommended for individuals aged 60 and up, Indigenous adults and their non-Indigenous adult household members, and residents of long-term care homes and other congregate care settings.
Due to the recommended intervals between doses, thousands of Grey-Bruce residents aged 60 and up will become eligible in July and August to receive their second booster. More information on vaccine recommendations, including for children aged five to 11, and intervals is available by visiting https://covid-19.ontario.ca/getting-covid-19-vaccine.
Evidence shows that boosters can help increase antibody levels that wane over time after the second dose. While a primary series of an mRNA vaccine generally maintains good effectiveness against severe outcomes, a booster further increases vaccine effectiveness to more than 90 per cent against severe outcomes.
