Health-care workers call for access to 4th doses of COVID-19 vaccine but Ontario offers no timeline

Ashley Fox is keen to get her second booster of the COVID-19 vaccine.

A registered practical nurse, Fox was recently a Liberal candidate in the Ontario election in the riding of Perth-Wellington. She's returned to her work in home and community health care and she's also in her last trimester of pregnancy.

She received her third dose, or booster shot, in November — six months ago.

"I'm ready, let's start the next boosters," Fox said.

Fox said people may not be thinking of the second booster — or fourth dose — right now because it's summer, masking has been lifted and there's a general vibe that COVID-19 is over.

But she says most health-care workers continue to see new cases of the virus and they are anticipating another wave this fall, when people move back indoors. She says the province can plan ahead to get health-care workers their next round of shots so that it's not a rush like it was in November for her booster.

"If we don't put plan in place sooner rather than later, we'll always be late to the ballgame," she said.

Fox isn't alone in wanting her second booster.

Michelle Steingart is the clinic co-ordinator for Sanguen Health Centre based in Waterloo, Ont., and she says everyone at the community-based health-care centre is just waiting for word they can get their second boosters.

"We, like the rest of the community, are waiting to hear when those under 60 are allowed to get their vaccines. And we'll have our sleeves all rolled up and be ready to take the poke as soon as we can," Steingart said.

Kitchener ER doctor Rupinder Sahsi also tweeted about his desire for a second booster.

Immunity wanes, RNAO president says

Currently only certain priority groups are eligible for the second booster in Ontario. They are:

• People aged 60 and older.
• First Nation, Inuit and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous adult household members.
• People living in long-term care, retirement homes, elder lodges or other senior congregate care settings.
• Some immunocompromised individuals.

Dr. Claudette Holloway, president of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, says her organization has heard rumblings too on social media of nurses wanting their second booster, but she doesn't have any answers for them.

She says while the government has not yet recommended second boosters except for certain priority groups, they can be proactive and prepare now to give the vaccine ahead of the next wave.

"After a while that immunity does wane so that fourth booster dose is very, very important," Holloway said.

She said nurses are exhausted and on top of that, they feel underappreciated and disrespected.

"Things like Bill 124, which cut their wages and other health-care workers, these things cause them to feel even more devalued, disrespected," she said. 

"We need employers, decision makers to really put things in place so that they have access to their vaccines, that we show them respect."

Ontario waiting for federal recommendations

Marianne Walker is president and CEO of Guelph General Hospital and the hospital lead for Waterloo-Wellington's COVID-19 response. She says all staff are encouraged to stay up-to-date on vaccinations.

"Should a fourth shot be approved, we will ensure staff will have easy access by holding vaccination clinics for them on site," Walker said in an emailed statement.

A spokesperson for Region of Waterloo Public Health said they had no information on second booster shots for health-care workers and directed questions to the province.

CBC News contacted Ontario's Ministry of Health's and asked what the timeline is for health-care workers to be able to access their second booster of the vaccine.

The ministry's media office responded with the list of people who are currently eligible to receive a second booster and did not offer a timeline.

"Ontario is monitoring NACI [National Advisory Committee on Immunization] guidance in case of any additional recommendations on booster doses for additional populations," the ministry said in an email.

Provinces 'make their own decisions'

Ontario gives the vaccine to people 60 and older, which is already different than recommendations from NACI. The Health Canada guidance for second booster doses, updated in April, suggests people aged 80 and older should get the second booster and provinces and territories "may also consider" giving it to people 70 and older.

The NACI recommendations also say a second booster should be given six months after the first booster, unless local health officials deem it to be needed sooner.

In an email, a spokesperson for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada noted that "while NACI provides recommendations based on available studies and latest science, provinces and territories make their own decisions based on their epidemiological situation and vaccine availability."

Manitoba, for example, expanded access to second boosters to anyone aged 50 and older in May. Saskatchewan did so a month earlier.

The Health Canada spokesperson added, "NACI constantly reviews all of the available data on vaccines and updates its guidance."