Fourth doses in Ontario: When should you get one?
Fourth doses in Ontario: When should you get one?
Ontario medical experts are continuing to encourage people to get COVID-19 booster shots, but the timing can differ for people who have been previously infected with the virus.
The province has been offering fourth doses – or second boosters – since December 2021. Ontarians who are 60 and older, along with people who are immunocompromised, are currently eligible for a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“In all our vaccines, they usually come in three or fours,” Dr. Dawn Bowdish, Canada Research Chair in Aging and Immunity and a professor at McMaster University, told CTV News Toronto Monday.
“When you had kids and you were taking them to the doctor all the time, three to four doses is what it really takes to cement immune memory – this is not that unusual,” she said.
Bowdish said it’s important to keep up to date with vaccines.
THREE MONTHS AFTER INFECTION: DOCTORS
Bowdish recommends people recently previously infected with COVID-19 to wait three months after their infection for their next shot, as antibodies continue circulating in the body.
But those who’ve avoided illness should get it as soon as possible, as Ontario is still in the middle of an Omicron wave, she said.
When four months have passed since the last shot — an infection is more likely.
“Older people and people who are immunocompromised lose that protection a little faster so those are the people we want first in line to get those doses,” Bowdish said.
Getting the booster now she said will not only protect against an infection now, but added by having a less symptomatic infection that’s shorter will also prevent long COVID or other issues that could develop from an illness.
KIDS AND BOOSTERS
The Ontario government is not currently recommending that children from the ages of five to 11 receive a booster dose.
Right now, the province is recommending that children aged 12 and older receive their booster dose six months after their previous dose and that youth aged 18 and older should receive booster doses three months after their last.
It’s suggested that little ones who have been previously infected with COVID-19 apply the same three-month wait period [post-infection] to get their booster, Dr. Dina Kulik, a pediatrician and founder of Kidcrew, told CTV News Toronto. Otherwise, she recommends sticking to the schedule.
“We want children to get their boosters, adults as well if they haven’t received their boosters,” she said.
Eligible individuals can book an appointment for a fourth dose through the provincial vaccination portal, by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900, directly through public health units that use their own booking systems, through Indigenous-led vaccination clinic and at participating pharmacies.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Border restrictions to enter Canada extended until at least Sept. 30
The federal government announced Wednesday all existing border restrictions to enter Canada will remain in place until at least Sept. 30.

R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in sex trafficking case
Fallen R&B superstar R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison Wednesday for using his fame to subject young fans - some just children - to systematic sexual abuse.
Police investigating possibility of 3rd suspect in Saanich, B.C., shooting
Police in Saanich, B.C., say they continue to investigate the possibility that a "third suspect" was involved in a fatal shooting at a bank that left two suspects dead and six officers injured Tuesday.
'What were they waiting for?' Woman inside Saanich bank amid shootout describes 'calm' gunmen
A woman who was trapped inside a bank during a robbery and fatal shootout with police near Victoria on Tuesday says there is one question still plaguing her a day later: Why didn't the gunmen just leave with the money?
Where do the inquiries into the 'Freedom Convoy' protests and use of Emergencies Act stand?
Five months ago, the first 'Freedom Convoy' trucks rolled into Ottawa. After the federal government took the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergencies Act to end the protests, a series of inquiries and probes have been initiated. With the nation's capital bracing for more protests over the Canada Day weekend, CTVNews.ca takes a look at where the main commissions and studies stand.
Mother forced to spend night sleeping on Toronto Pearson floor because of Air Canada delays
A mother of three children is speaking out after spending a night on the floor of Toronto Pearson Airport with her young kids in a nightmare weekend of travel.
Virginia man dies by suicide after toddler left in hot car dies
A toddler accidentally left in a vehicle for hours died Tuesday and police said his father was found dead in an apparent suicide at their Virginia home, police said.
Canada to lead upgraded NATO combat force in Latvia
Canada has signed an agreement to upgrade the NATO battlegroup it leads in Latvia to a brigade, a move that signals a commitment to the military alliance even as the federal Liberals resist calls to boost defence spending to two per cent of GDP.
INVESTIGATION | OPP officer contributed to Toronto's notorious tow truck industry, court hears
A decorated OPP officer became part of the problem of the GTA’s troubled tow truck industry when he played favourites and sent more than half a million dollars in tows to a tow truck company also featured in a reality TV show, according to a Superior Court justice.