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World / Americas

Canada's Ontario to expand second COVID booster shot eligibility from Thursday

Published: 06 Apr 2022 - 04:29 pm | Last Updated: 06 Apr 2022 - 04:30 pm
A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 30, 2021. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo

A woman receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 30, 2021. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo

Reuters

Canada's Ontario province said Wednesday it will start offering a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines to people aged 60 and over, as well as to all adults in indigenous households from Thursday.

An official Canadian panel recommended a second vaccine booster for some Canadians on Tuesday, as coronavirus infections rose in many parts of the country.

"As we continue to live with COVID-19, we are using every tool available to manage this virus and reduce its impact on our hospitals and health system, including by expanding the use of booster doses," Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a statement.

The province, Canada's most populous, had been offering fourth doses of COVID vaccines since Dec. 30 to some vulnerable populations, including residents of long-term care homes and retirement homes.