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COVID Vaccine Access Expanding Across NWT

As of September 21st, COVID-19 vaccine boosters are available for all children aged 5-11. Immunization appointments can be booked online in Yellowknife or by calling your health centre or public health office.

On October 1st, this year’s flu season immunization clinics will begin, with the option for all eligible residents age 5+ to receive a COVID-19 booster as well at these clinics.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and the NWT Chief Public Health Officer advise adults and children to get a booster dose (regardless of the number of boosters they’ve previously received), if it has been six months since their last COVID-19 vaccination, or three months since their last COVID-19 infection.

The type of COVID-19 vaccine that will be administered depends on what is being endorsed for particular ages and risk groups.

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The updated COVID-19 vaccine, known as the bivalent Omicron mRNA vaccine, will be offered first to those at highest risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. The bivalent vaccine, approved by Health Canada, combines two types of vaccine; one that targets the original COVID-19 strain, along with a second that targets the Omicron variant, specifically BA.1. Both the traditional and updated vaccines are effective at preventing severe outcomes from COVID-19 for all ages, said Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola.

Initial prioritization for rollout of the bivalent Omicron vaccine will be as follows:

Group 1

o 65 years of age and older

o Residents of long-term care facilities

o 5-64 years of age, high risk and severely immunocompromised

Group 2

o All individuals over 50 years of age

o All individuals aged 12-49 who have high-risk medical conditions

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o Individuals with underlying medical conditions that place them at high risk of severe COVID-19

Group 3

o General population aged 18+

Healthy children and teens aged 5-17 can opt to receive a booster of the original vaccine at their discretion.

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