Updated COVID-19 vaccine to be available to certain groups next week

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit in Windsor, Ont., on Tuesday, May 12, 2022. (Melanie Borrelli/CTV News Windsor)

With respiratory illness season around the corner, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is reminding residents to stay safe by staying up to date on their vaccinations.

Starting Tuesday, Oct. 10, Moderna’s updated SPIKEVAX XBB COVID-19 vaccine will be available to vulnreable, higher-risk populations in the community.

The Ontario Ministry of Health has prioritized the following groups for the first phase of this rollout:

• Pregnant individuals
• Individuals over 65 years of age
• All children six months to four years of age
• Individuals who are from a First Nation, Inuit or Métis community, and/or who self-identify as First Nation, Inuit, or Métis, and their household members
• Individuals six months of age and older with underlying health conditions per NACI recommendations
• Members of racialized and other equity deserving communities
• Health care workers and first responders

Eligibility is also limited to those who have not had a dose of COVID-19 vaccine or a confirmed COVID-19 infection in the last six months.

Flu shots will also be offered to eligible individuals during their COVID-19 vaccination appointment.

Both the XBB COVID-19 and flu vaccine will be available to the General Public after the high-risk populations towards the end of October, at health care providers’ offices and pharmacies, the health unit said.

“It is safe and convenient to receive both the COVID-19 and flu shot at the same time, reducing the need for multiple visits to a doctor, nurse practitioner, or local pharmacy,” WECHU officials say.

Appointment bookings at the WECHU for eligible priority groups is now open and can be booked online at wechu.org/cv/vaccine-clinics