Nova Scotia opens up COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to 18+

Nova Scotia has opened up its COVID-19 vaccine booster dose eligibility to include those who are 18 years of age and older.

To qualify, it must be at least 168 days since the person's second dose. Anyone who is 18 and over and who had their second COVID-19 shot before Aug.2 would be eligible for a booster shot Monday.

People who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or the one-dose Janssen vaccine are still eligible to schedule a booster dose of mRNA vaccine.

In a news release on Monday, the province also said it is adding an additional 55,000 appointments for Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for those ages 12 to 29 years old. Those aged12 to 17 are not yet eligible for a booster dose.

"People 18 to 29 are strongly encouraged to schedule a Pfizer vaccine for their first, second or booster dose as recent evidence shows there is a rare, but increased risk of myocarditis/pericarditis in young adults from Moderna vaccine as compared to Pfizer vaccine," the province said in Monday's news release.

The province also said Pfizer appointments for those 30 and older would reopen after the 12 to 29 age group has had a chance to book. Those 30 and over are still encouraged to keep their Moderna vaccine appointment, however.

Before Monday, booster shots had been mostly restricted to those 30 years and older.