Fourth COVID Booster Shot Now Recommended for Vulnerable Groups: Federal Panel

People walk past a vaccine clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississauga, Ont., on April 13, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

A panel advising the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on vaccines has recommended another COVID booster shot for certain vulnerable groups starting this month.

“Evidence suggests that a fourth dose of an original monovalent COVID-19 vaccine provides an increase in vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection,” wrote the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) in a guidance report, released by PHAC, on March 3.

“However, waning of protection is observed over time, consistent with the waning of protection after two or three doses.”

As first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, the NACI recommended “an additional COVID-19 booster dose in the spring of 2023” for individuals at risk of severe illness due to the virus.

Specifically, the fourth shot is proposed for people 80 and over, residents of nursing homes, seniors between 65 to 79 years old with emphasis on those who never contracted COVID, and adults 18 and over “who are moderately to severely immunocompromised due to an underlying condition or treatment.”

The NACI said “hybrid immunity,” which its report defined as having at least one COVID shot plus at least one exposure from infection, may have reached a plateau for people who received booster doses of the original mRNA COVID-19 vaccine against Omicron subvariants.

“Further study will be needed to determine whether the findings regarding the protection from hybrid immunity would apply broadly to Omicron-containing bivalent COVID-19 vaccines … and against new subvariants and VOCs [Variants of Concern],” the panel said.

More COVID-19 Vaccines Arriving

The NACI recommendations came three days after the federal Department of Public Works disclosed in a report that over 90 million COVID-19 vaccines will make their way to Canada in 2023 and 2024.

The shipments were ordered two years ago under advance purchase agreements with seven pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer Canada, Novovax, and Moderna Inc.

Prices were not disclosed, but the Office of the Auditor General of Canada estimated in a report last December that the average cost of one dose was approximately $30—meaning it will cost Canada about $2.72 billion when the remaining doses eventually arrive.

“Booster doses may be acquired under the 90.8 million doses to be delivered in 2023 and 2024,” the department said.

‘Up-to-Date’

The shipment arrangements and the NACI recommendation appear to align with Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos who said last June that Canadians should get a COVID booster shot regularly to stay “up-to-date.”

“What exactly do we mean by up-to-date vaccination? Let me be very clear: Up-to-date means you’ve received your last dose in the past nine months,” Duclos told reporters at a press conference at the time.

“If you’ve already received a first booster, that’s great, and please see if you’re eligible for a second or a third booster to remain up-to-date.”

The minister said having a mindset of being “up-to-date” is the “right way” to think about vaccination from now on.

“‘Fully vaccinated’ makes no sense now, so it’s about ‘up-to-date,’” he said.