**** HEALTH/WELLNESS Media Release
Booster Clinics Rolling Out Across Province
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Clinics are opening across the province this month to give Nova Scotians booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
New community clinics will offer vaccine by appointment starting:
— Thursday, January 6, at the Halifax Forum
— Monday, January 10, at the Acadia Festival Theatre in Wolfville
— Monday, January 17, at Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth
— Monday, January 24, at the Nova Scotia Community College campus in Truro.
Some existing COVID-19 testing centres will also offer vaccine by appointment. The following centres will start vaccinations on Monday, January 10:
— Rath Eastlink Community Centre, Truro
— Pictou County Assessment Centre, New Glasgow
— Cumberland County Assessment Centre, Amherst
— Antigonish Market Square, Antigonish
— Grand Lake Road Fire Hall, Sydney
— Berwick Fire Hall, Berwick
— Mariners Centre, Yarmouth.
The Digby Station testing centre will offer vaccine by appointment starting Monday, January 24.
People who are 30 or older can book a booster dose at least 168 days after they received the second dose of their primary series. For African Nova Scotians and people in First Nations communities, the age for boosters is 18 and older.
While many appointments at current vaccination locations have already been booked, Nova Scotians who still need to book one are encouraged to be patient and check back as appointments are being added often, including at the new community clinics.
Many Nova Scotians have answered the call to help the booster-dose effort. To date, the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) has about 2,350 applications from people offering to help at vaccination clinics. About 850 are potential immunizers and about 1,500 may be able to serve in non-clinical roles. The NSHA has begun screening, matching people with appropriate roles and training, and that will continue as needed.
Existing pharmacy, physician, IWK and healthcare worker clinics are continuing. Drop-in vaccination clinics are also continuing and will have increased capacity.
People who have not yet received their primary series of vaccine can still book appointments. The interval between first and second doses is now 56 days, up from 28, following National Advisory Committee on Immunization guidelines.
Quick Facts:
— people who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of Janssen are still eligible to schedule a booster dose of mRNA vaccine
— all frontline healthcare workers, including community healthcare providers who provide direct patient care, and all designated caregivers are still eligible for a booster dose regardless of age
— it is strongly recommended that people under 30 book Pfizer appointments; more Pfizer appointments will be available once the province has received more supply of this vaccine
— people who are 30 and older are encouraged to book Moderna appointments in order to prioritize Pfizer for those who need it
Additional Resources:
People can book primary series or booster appointments online at https://novascotia.ca/vaccination or by calling the toll-free line: 1-833-797-7772
Drop-in vaccination clinics are listed at https://www.nshealth.ca/drop-in-vaccine-clinics
Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Plan – Booster Doses: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/vaccine#booster-doses
Rural Transportation Association: https://ruralrides.ca
