P.E.I. expands 2nd COVID-19 booster eligibility to include people over 60

Prince Edward Island has expanded the eligibility of second COVID-19 boosters to include people over 60.

Until now, the second booster was available to people incongregate living settings, including long-term and community care facilities, Islanders over 70, and Indigenous adults 18 and older.

As of May 8, 97.7 per cent of Islandersover the age of 12 have received at least one dose of vaccine and 94.7 per cent are fully vaccinated.

As well, 68.8 per cent of children aged five to 11 have one dose of vaccine, while 54 per cent have two.

Vaccines available at clinics, pharmacies

The provincesays Islanders recently infected with COVID-19 should wait three months after testing positive or after the onset of symptoms before getting a COVID-19 vaccine or booster dose.

"Even though the number of daily cases of COVID-19 continue to decline on P.E.I., I strongly recommend Islanders who are not yet vaccinated to get their primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine and their booster doseswhen they are eligible," Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said in a release.

Eligible Islanders waiting to get a second booster dose are ableto do so four to sixmonths after receiving their first booster.

A single booster dose is recommended for those 12and older.

Vaccines are available atHealth P.E.I. vaccination clinicsor at one of the manypartner pharmaciesacross the province.