Who's eligible for a fall COVID-19 booster and when? What you need to know

Has it been at least five months since your last COVID-19 vaccine or infection? Then you're eligible for a booster dose and should get it now, in anticipation of increased COVID activity this fall, says the province'sacting chief medical officer of health.

Don't wait for the province to announce third or second boosters for certain age groups,or a fall vaccination campaign.

"We're trying to get away from the approach of trying to count boosters," saidDr. Yves Lger.

"We are in line with the current NACI recommendations regarding fall boosters, which isto encourage all New Brunswickers[aged five and older] to get a fall booster dose, irrespective of the number of previous doses."

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended in June that people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 infection should be offered a booster shot this fall, regardless of how many boosters they've previously received. That includes peopleaged 65 and older.

People aged 12 to 64"may be offered" a fall COVID-19 booster as well,the federal advisory body said.

The booster doses may be offered sixmonths aftera person's previous COVID-19 vaccine dose or COVID infection, NACI recommended.

"However, a shorter interval of at least [three] months may be warranted in the context of heightened epidemiologic risk, as well as operational considerations for the efficient deployment of the program."

It's been five months since New Brunswickbegan offering a secondbooster dose to people aged 50 and older, provided at leastfive months hadpassed since their last dose, and about two-and-a-half months since people aged 18 and older could get their second booster.

Children aged five to 11 have only been eligiblefor theirfirst booster since Sept. 7, after Health Canada approvedPfizer-BioNTech'svaccine as a booster for this age group in August.

Although the province used to recommend waiting three months after a COVID-19 infection before getting a vaccine, it has increased that to five to "align" with NACI,Lgersaid.

"So anyone [aged five or older] who is five months or more from a previous dose or infection [is] encouraged to get a booster dose in the fall in anticipation of increased activity during the fall or winter months," he said.

2,100 opted for bivalent booster so far

People should not wait for Moderna'sOmicron-specificboosterto become more widely available in New Brunswick, saidLger.

"Anyone who is eligible for a booster doseshould certainly consider getting the vaccine that's available to them," he said.

TheSpikevax bivalent booster targets both the original coronavirus and the Omicron variant BA.1 that emerged late last year and drove the largest wave of infection and hospitalization in the pandemic.

"Bivalent vaccines certainly are a new product and they show promise of possibly having a better immune response, but we don't know yet if that necessarily translates into better protection," said Lger. "Those studies aren't available yet. Once the vaccine starts to be used, then we'll have more data that confirms whether or not it provides stronger protection or not.

"But certainly we do know that our currently available vaccines what we call our monovalent vaccines, or the original vaccines we have we certainly know that those are very good vaccines.They still provide very strong protection against those severe outcomes," including hospitalizations, ICU admissions and death.

Themonovalent vaccines "still offersome protection against Omicron, and it's best to be up-to-date on your vaccination to prevent waning immunity." added Department of Health spokesperson Adam Bowie.

The department encourages people to book an appointment today.

Health Canada approvedthe bivalent on Sept. 1 for people age 18 and older.

As it stands, only New Brunswickers50 and older, those aged12 to 17 who are immunocompromised or have a high-risk medical condition, and those aged 18 and older who live in a First Nations community areeligible for thebivalent vaccine,as long as five months have passed since their last vaccine dose or a COVID-19 infection.

The province will look at expanding eligibility once its supply increases, saidLger."That should be hopefully in the near future."

He could not say how soon or to how broad access could be. It will depend on how many more doses it receives from the federal government and when, he said.

Roughly2,100 New Brunswickers have received the bivalent vaccine since it became available Sept. 14, saidLger.

People living inlong-term care will be offered a bivalentbooster in October, the province has said.

Vaccination rates higher than national averages

As of Tuesday, 21.6per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received their second booster.

That's up from 17 per cent on Sept. 11, when the national second booster averagewas 13 per cent, according to the most recent figures available from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

New Brunswick's first booster rate was also higher than the national average at that time,at nearly 51 per cent, compared to about 50per cent, PHAC figures show. The province's first booster rate is now53.7 per cent, according to the Department of Health.

The percent of New Brunswickers who completed their primary two-dose series as of Sept. 11 was also higher than the country's average, at roughly 84versus 82.

As of Tuesday,90.5 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received their first dose and,85.4 per cent have received their second dose, according to the Department of Health.

Canada drops all COVID border measures Saturday

On Saturday,the federal government will dropall COVID-19 measures at borders. Travellers will no longer need to provide proof of vaccination when entering Canada, wear masks on planes ortrains,or undergo testing before boarding the massivecruise ships that frequent Saint John.

Asked for comment, Lger said travel and border restrictions are the purview of the federal government. "And they've determined that in this phase of the pandemic thatborder measures could be reduced."

"That being said, we still are living with COVID and we know that COVID is present here as well as elsewhere across the globe, and we need to continue toconsider using those measures that we've all been using in the last 2years to protect us from COVID."

That includes keeping up to date on vaccinations, he said.

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Ducloshas said Monday's decision is not a sign Canada is out ofthe pandemic.

"If anybody believes the pandemic is over, I invite them to visit a hospital."

But the government's data showed the importation of new variants was no longer having an effect on the evolution of the virus in country, he said.

All travellers, regardless of citizenship, will no longer have to:

• Submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website;
• Provide proof of vaccination;
• Undergo pre- or on-arrival testing;
• Carry out COVID-19-related quarantine or isolation;
• Monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon arriving to Canada;
• Undergo health checks for travel on air and rail;
• Or wear masks on planes and trains.

The changes come afterMPs and border-city mayorspublished an open letterto Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden last week asking them to end the "unnecessary" rules at the border, a move they said would allow border communities to recover economically from the pandemic.

Lger said it's important for Canadianswho are travelling to stay up to date on COVID activity in their destination and to understand that it may be higher there so they can take steps toprotect themselves.

"Even though it's not, you know, a requirement now to wear masks while traveling, we certainly do continue to recommend that all travelers consider wearing a mask in public places," he said.