The definition of 鈥渇ully vaccinated鈥 in Canada won鈥檛 be amended to include a booster shot, even as calls mount for Canadians to get a vaccine top-up, the Public Health Agency of Canada says.
The federal government continues to define a full series of a vaccine or a combination of vaccines as two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines or at least one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, a spokesperson told CTVNews.ca in an emailed statement.
鈥淎s the epidemiological context of COVID-19 continues to evolve, the Government of Canada will continue to monitor the efficacy and effectiveness of vaccines being used in Canada and may provide further recommendations on the definition of a fully vaccinated person, if required,鈥 the statement reads.
Public health officials are urging eligible Canadians to receive an additional booster shot to enhance protection against the fast-spreading Omicron COVID-19 variant of concern.
Provinces and territories are charged with determining the eligibility criteria for booster shots as well as the logistical components of the rollout.
For example, in Ontario, where Omicron cases are steadily rising, those 18 years and older can now receive a third dose so long as their second was administered three months ago. Other regions are maintaining a six-month interval between doses.
The federal government has confirmed that Canada has procured enough vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna to provide a booster shot to all eligible Canadians.
However, when asked by 麻豆影视 last week if it had a delivery schedule in place with either company, no answer was given by the office of Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi and officials from Public Services and Procurement Canada.
Public Health experts say it鈥檚 too early to tell whether a fourth dose might be needed to protect against COVID-19 variants but it鈥檚 likely an annual booster shot will be necessary.
