Ontario: 4th dose for residents of long-term care facilities

Residents of long-term care facilities in Ontario can benefit from a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine starting Thursday, while staff working with them will be required to receive the third dose.

• Read also: Ontario to change the look of its immunization passport

• Read also: COVID-19: Records continue to decline

• Read also: direct | Developments on COVID-19

Residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, nursing homes and other group care facilities can receive their fourth dose of the vaccine for at least three months, or more specifically 84 days, after they are discharged. The third dose.

The county is also requiring all employees, whether students, volunteers, caregivers or long-term care home support workers, to receive their third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by January 28.

The move came as the province tightened rules that went into effect Thursday that ban visitors to long-term care homes but allow essential caregivers. Residents’ social outings have also been suspended.

The government added that when visitors are allowed into long-term care homes, they will also need a booster injection.

“Making the third dose of the vaccine mandatory for long-term care employees as well as caregivers and providing the fourth dose to residents is an important step our government is taking to protect long-term care employees and residents,” Ontario Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips said in a statement.

It’s calling on all Ontarians to help protect the most vulnerable by getting booster shots as soon as they are eligible.