(Yellowknife, May 19, 2022) – In line with recommendations by Chief Public Health Officer, vaccination access is being further expanded and all residents are encouraged to access their recommended COVID vaccination dose as soon as they become eligible.
Starting May 20, recommendations for certain populations to receive a fourth dose have been expanded to:
- Individuals aged 50 years and older
- Immunocompromised individuals aged 12 and older (see appendix for definition)
Eligible residents should receive their booster dose at least 6 months after their third dose. All residents are reminded that COVID vaccination is still recommended, even if they experience a COVID infection. Any individuals who have experienced a COVID infection before their first or second dose may still receive their next recommended dose 8 weeks after symptoms started, or after testing positive, whether or not they had symptoms.
If the COVID infection occurred after the second dose, they can receive the booster dose 3 months after symptoms started or after testing positive, whether or not symptoms were experienced, as long as it is at least 6 months after getting their second dose.
At the Yellowknife Centre Square Mall vaccination clinic space, walk-in appointments are now open to both adult and youth vaccinations. Appointments can be booked at NTHSSAbookings.simplybook.me. In all other communities, residents are able to access COVID vaccinations by contacting their local health centre or public health office to arrange an appointment. For more information on COVID-19, visit www.nthssa.ca/covid.
APPENDIX: Immune Compromised Definition:
An individual would be considered to have moderate to severe immune compromise if they have one of the following conditions or treatments; please note if you believe you have moderate to severe immune compromise and your situation is not represented in this list we encourage you to speak with your healthcare provider about whether your condition would warrant a 3rd or 4th dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
List of treatments or conditions that would indicate moderate to severe immune compromise:
- Active treatment of cancer or other hematologic malignancy
- Recipient of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy
- Treatment of leukemia with T cell therapy, or had a stem cell transplant within the last two years
- Moderate to severe primary B or T cell immunodeficiency (e.g.: Di George Syndrome or Wiskott-Alrich Syndrome)
- Stage 3 or advanced untreated HIV infection or diagnosis of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- Active treatment of active disease (neurological, autoimmune, neoplastic) with any of the following immune suppressive therapies:
- Corticosteroids at doses equivalent to or greater than prednisone 20mg/day for greater than 14 days
- Anti-B cell therapy (e.g.: rituximab/Rituxan, belimumab/Benlysta, etanercept/Enbrel, tocilizumab/Actemra)
- Alkylating agent therapy (e.g.: carboplatin, chlorambucil, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide)
- Systemic antimetabolite therapy (e.g.: 6-mercaptopurine, 5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, cytarabine, pemetrexed, methotrexate)
- Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor therapy (e.g.: infliximab/Remicade, etanercept/Enbrel, adalimumab/Humira)
- Other biologic therapy (e.g.: ustekinumab/Stelara)