Quebecers aged 12-17 now eligible for 3rd dose, appointments open as of Saturday
CBC
When the highly transmissible Omicron variant swept across Quebec late last year, 16-year-old Milla Simms became scared for her health for the first time in the pandemic.
"Prior to the spread of the Omicron variant ... [COVID-19] never really felt like something that hit me super, super close," said the Montreal teen.
"But then around the winter break .. it felt like every single person I knew had suddenly gotten it and I was like, 'OK am I next?'"
So when Simms found out she'd be able to register online for her third dose as of this weekend, she said she wouldn't hesitate.
"I'm actually really excited," she said.
The Health Ministry expanded booster dose eligibility to people aged 12 to 17 on Friday following a recommendation from the province's immunization committee (CIQ).
It advises teenagers who are at high risk of complications from the virus roll up their sleeves for a third time, however anyone in the age group who wishes to get a booster dose can also do so, provided it's been at least three months since their second dose.
Appointments will be made available to the age group on the Clic Santé portal starting Saturday.
Nikolaos Anastasopoulos, 14, says he's also happy to be able to get the third dose so he can safely resume sports and travel to Greece with his family.
As with adults, studies in teenagers show a decrease in protection against infection over time, the ministry says.
"A booster dose will result in greater vaccine efficacy in 12- to 17-year-olds in the short term against the new variants, including Omicron," it said.
Dr. Earl Rubin, director of the pediatric infectious disease unit at the Montreal Children's Hospital, says while the third will protect teenagers against more severe infection, it's those who are high-risk that stand to benefit most.
"[Those with] obesity, severe asthma, any underlying health conditions ... as well as those living in a group living environment ... I absolutely endorse and believe it is the right thing to do," said Rubin.
For other teenager, he said there is still a benefit in getting a third dose, as it protects against more severe disease, but the vaccination isn't as strong in preventing transmission as it has been with previous variants.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.
Acute Care Alberta has extended its contract for another year with a private surgical facility at the centre of probes into health procurement and contracting.
As food bank use continues to climb across the province, front-line workers in Thunder Bay, Ont., are working to improve both food security and education.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.
The driver wanted in connection with a fatal hit and run on Highway 401 earlier this week has been identified, police say.
There are mixed feelings about the proposed Grays Bay road and port project, among people who live in nearby communities.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse and includes graphic content.
Provincial police in Lambton County have charged a 23-year-old man with second degree murder following a death investigation that began this past Saturday.
The Newfoundland and Labrador government is forming a working group to tackle what it calls systemic issues in the justice system, but answers or solutions could still be months away.
A woman has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death in a 2024 fatal hit and run in Truro, N.S., where the victim was dragged down the street, a case that went unsolved for more than six months.
A stream of people showing up to a brightly lit front porch, each holding up a bottle of wine, spirits, or beer.
Sona Lakhoyan Olivier has been excluded from Quebec’s Liberal caucus for the duration of an investigation led by the National Assembly’s ethics commissioner, the party announced Thursday.
The head of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association hopes a city plan to crack down on vacant properties leads to a transformation in his community.