N.B. announces spring COVID-19 vaccine boosters for those at highest risk

An additional COVID-19 booster dose is now available to New Brunswickers considered most at risk for severe illness, the Department of Health announced Monday.

Public Health encourages the following people to get an mRNA bivalent vaccine booster dose if at least five months have passed since either their last vaccine dose or a COVID-19 infection:

• People aged 65 and over, especially if unsure whether they've already been infected.
• People aged 18 and over who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
• People living in long-term care facilities.

"Given the continued circulation of COVID-19 in Canada and elsewhere we continue to recommend all New Brunswickers stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, including getting a bivalent booster shot," Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, said in a statement.

"Those most at risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 would especially benefit from a spring booster shot, as long as they have not rolled up their sleeve for a booster or fallen ill with COVID-19 within the past five months."

Others aged five and older who received a booster dose last fall are considered up to date, and no further doses are recommended at this time, the department said.

CBC asked the department whether any exceptions will be made for people who don't qualify but live with, or have regular contact with high-risk people, such as spouses, extended family members and home care workers, but did not receive a response by the end of work day.

NACI recommendations

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recently called for people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 to get another booster, starting this spring — six months or more after their last COVID-19 vaccine dose or SARS-CoV-2 infection, whichever is longer.

That includes:

• Adults 80 and older.
• Adult residents of long-term care homes and other communal living settings for seniors or those with complex medical care needs.
• Adults 18 and up who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, either due to a medical treatment or underlying health condition.
• Adults 65 to 79, particularly if they don't have a known prior history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The advisory committee didn't recommend an additional spring booster for people in the general population who've already received all their previous recommended doses, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam wrote in a statement on social media on March 3.

'Carefully consider' risks

New Brunswickers choosing to delay their COVID-19 vaccinations should "carefully consider their individual risks," Russell said.

As of last Tuesday, 30.4 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received their second booster. No data on third doses is provided.

New Brunswick reported six more COVID-19 deaths last week, raising the pandemic death toll to 862.

Fifteen people were admitted to hospital because of COVID March 19 to March 25, none of whom required intensive care, according to the COVIDWatch report. The two regional health authorities, meanwhile, reported having 49 patients hospitalized either for or with COVID, including three in intensive care.

A total of 212 new cases of COVID were confirmed through 1,278 PCR lab tests during the reporting week, for a positivity rate of 16.6 per cent.

Booster doses are available across the province at community pharmacies and through the online provincial scheduling system.

Children aged six months to four years are not currently eligible for booster doses, but are encouraged to get their primary series, the department said.

More information on eligibility criteria for the spring booster is available online.