A reminder from the Northwestern Health Unit to keep up with COVID vaccinations.
Anyone over the age of 5 can receive the vaccine.
In terms of booster shots, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon says anyone over the age of 12 is eligible for the third dose and for those who are 60 and older, immunocompromised individuals, or who are Indigenous, they can get a fourth dose.
She notes the government is continuing to study vaccines for those 5 and under, and that those too may be approved in the coming months.
Young Hoon says, “If it’s been more than 3 months since you’ve had COVID than you should be looking to book an appointment for your booster dose. There is added benefit and protection from a booster dose. So you are significantly decreased risk of severe illness with a booster dose and decreased risk of being infected.”
She adds, “The vaccine protection does wane somewhere around the six month mark, maybe a little bit earlier, little bit later, depending on the individual. So it is important to have some sense of what’s going on with respect to vaccination policy and know when you might be eligible in the future for your next dose.”
You can book an appointment at local health unit offices or visit participating pharmacies or primary clinics.
For more information on vaccinations, visit Northwestern Health Unit
Meantime, fluctuating COVID data in the region.
The test positivity rate has gone up from 9.1% to 11.4%.
However, the number of cases considered high risk has gone down from 159 to 135.
Health officials stress the case numbers are likely higher as many people are not eligible for PCR testing and test positive at home.
Breakdown on cases (Health Hub):
-Sioux Lookout (on reserve): 108
-Kenora: 8
-Fort Frances: 7
-Dryden: 4
-Red Lake: 4
-Atikokan: 3
-Sioux Lookout (off reserve): 1
