Toronto reaches new COVID-19 vaccine milestone with 90% fourth dose coverage in city-run long-term care

In this Sept. 27, 2021, file photo, Edward Williams, 62, a resident at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, receives a COVID-19 booster shot in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

More than 90 per cent of long-term care residents in Toronto’s city-run facilities have received a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The new milestone comes just weeks after the province announced that residents in Ontario’s long-term care home, as well as those in retirement homes, elder care lodges and other congregate care settings, could get a fourth shot of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine three months after their third shot.

“Many of these individuals are now likely becoming increasingly more susceptible to COVID-19 infection due to waning immunity from their previous doses,” Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said at the end of December.

Staff, students, volunteers and caregivers in these settings were also mandated to get their booster shot by Jan. 28.

The City of Toronto, for its part, began vaccinating eligible residents on Jan. 6. On Wednesday, officials said that 90 per cent of eligible residents in the city’s 10 long-term care homes have received their third shot.

Officials also said that it has received 220 High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters from the province and hope to install them at long-term care homes by the end of the week.

“Toronto Public Health reminds residents that the COVID-19 Omicron variant continues to spread, creating an urgent need for those eligible to receive a third dose of vaccine to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible,” officials said in a news release.

“Any residents who have not yet received their first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine are also encouraged to do so as soon as possible.”

Immunocompromised Ontarians can also book appointments for a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,