More Torontonians can get the new COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. Here's what you need to know
More Torontonians will be able to get their doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.
Everyone who is at least six months old will be able to get doses of the KP.2 vaccine for free, Toronto Public Health says, and do not require an Ontario health card to receive the vaccine.
Where can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Provincial funding for mass immunization clinics ended last year, prompting the City of Toronto to permanently shutter its four fixed-site COVID-19 vaccine centres in December 2023.
Even though these clinics are no longer around, COVID-19 vaccines can be found at select pharmacies or through participating health-care providers.
That said, Toronto Public Health continues to offer clinics for children between six months to four years old, with parents able to book their appointments online.
Torontonians can find a comprehensive list of pharmacies administering COVID-19 vaccines on the province's website, where it provides hours of operation, contact information and appointment details.
Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital, could not speak on exact vaccine rates in Toronto recently but said they are lower "than what would be helpful."
"Essentially, we really should be doubling down our efforts to get vaccines into the most vulnerable individuals," Bogoch said. "There's a lot of vaccine programs in long-term care institutions and seniors homes, but there are homebound seniors who might be vulnerable and who may remain unvaccinated."
Toronto Public Health says mobile vaccine teams provide doses to underhoused individuals and residents in shelters, while Toronto Paramedic Services can provide COVID-19 and flu vaccines to anyone who is homebound.
What should I know about this vaccine?
This particular vaccine was designed for the KP.2 sublineage of Omicron, which was approved by Health Canada in September. Pfizer-BioNTech's mRNA vaccine, Comirnaty, replaces the previous version that targeted the XBB 1.5 Omicron subvariant.
"There's a bit of an arms race between the virus mutating and us trying to create vaccine that most closely resembles the circulating strain. We're never going to get it perfect," Bogoch told CTV News Toronto in an interview on Wednesday.
Currently, in Canada, however, the strain with the highest number of positive cases is the Omicron KP.3.1.1 variant, which is a subvariant of the XEC strain, a hybrid of KS.1.1 and KP.3.3 subvariants. This variant accounts for 48.4 per cent of all COVID-19 cases in the country as of Oct. 13, according to the latest data from the Publc Health Agency of Canada.
"The good news is that at any point the pandemic in Canada, regardless of what vaccine was being deployed and regardless of the variant of COVID that is circulating at any point in time, the vaccine has always done a remarkable job in reducing the risk of severe infection, such as hospitalization and death, especially among those who are most vulnerable," Bogoch said.
"It's not a perfect match, because it will never be a perfect match."
With files from CTVNews.ca's Hunter Crowther
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
With Indian diplomats expelled, RCMP commissioner says 'significant reduction' in public safety threat
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says there has been a “significant reduction”to the public safety threat since six Indian diplomatic officials were expelled from the country last week.
B.C. election results: NDP gains ground in latest release of mail-in ballot data
Elections BC released its first partial results of the final count in B.C.'s 2024 provincial election Saturday afternoon, and the data shows NDP candidates gaining in some tight races.
Ontario man tells police he harmed two family members, three found dead
Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.
Trump refers to CNN's Anderson Cooper by a woman's first name
Former U.S. president Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper with a woman's first name in recent days as the Republican presidential nominee focuses his closing message on a hypermasculine appeal to men.
Lawsuit alleges Ontario man died after given 10 times prescribed dose in hospital
Angela Salvatore had been away from her father's hospital bedside for just over an hour when she says she got a frantic call from a nurse, pleading with her to calm him down.
15-year-old found dead in eastern Ontario, teen facing second-degree murder charge: OPP
Ontario Provincial Police say a 16-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder after a 15-year-old was found dead at a home in Perth, Ont. Friday afternoon.
Lizzo's Halloween costume draws inspiration from 'South Park' episode that referenced her and the weight-loss drug Ozempic
Lizzo has taken a rather silly reference to her on a recent 'South Park' episode and elevated it to a hilarious Halloween costume.
What we know about the Canadians busted in an international drug ring led by a former Olympic athlete
Canadian Ryan James Wedding finished in 24th place in the parallel giant slalom at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, but the snowboarder wouldn’t go on to improve his results in Torino four years later.
Ottawa journalist says claims that he is a Russian agent are 'fabricated'
A veteran Ottawa journalist is firing back against what he says are "entirely false" claims by a former Conservative cabinet minister that he acted as a Russian agent.