Nova Scotia recommends boosters for youth at higher risk of severe illness

The chief of pediatrics at the IWK Health Centre says he supports this recommendation

CityNews Halifax Staff

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The province is now recommending  booster doses for Nova Scotians between the ages of 12 and 17 who are at a higher risk of severe illness.

Health Canada has not yet approved COVID-19 boosters for this age group, but the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) says preliminary findings in other parts of the world show no different safety concerns than those from the primary series of vaccine.

NACI is now recommending Pfizer boosters for adolescents who:

• have an underlying medical condition that may put them at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19, including those who are immunocompromised and who have already received a three-dose primary series (for adolescents who are immunocompromised, a booster dose would be their fourth dose)
• are residents of congregate living settings, including shelters, group homes, quarters for migrant workers and correctional facilities
• belong to racialized or marginalized communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

The chief of pediatrics at the IWK Health Centre says he supports this recommendation.

“When compared to older adults, adolescents tend to have milder COVID disease,” Dr. Andrew Lynk stated in a news release.

“However, when compared to their peers, adolescents with risk factors for more serious COVID infections include those with obesity, moderate to severe asthma, cancer, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, serious heart and lung conditions, some blood disorders, Down Syndrome, epilepsy and weakened immune systems. Please discuss any concerns you may have with your family physician or pediatric specialist.”

Families with children 12 to 17 who do not fall into the groups above are also eligible for a booster with informed consent, which will include reviewing information on the rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis following a dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine.

“The majority of adolescents 12 to 17 in Nova Scotia do not need a booster dose as they are at low risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes if they are fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.

“However, for some, the benefit of receiving a booster dose ahead of further approvals outweighs the risk of getting COVID-19.”

NACI has also strongly recommended third doses for children ages 5 to 11 who are moderately to severely immunocompromised at the time of their first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The province is making those available 56 days after a second dose.

In addition, the province has supporting NACI’s recent guidance on vaccine timing for people who have tested positive for COVID-19:

• people who tested positive and have not been fully vaccinated are advised to wait at least two months to get a first or second dose of vaccine
• people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been fully vaccinated are advised to wait at least three months to get a booster dose, provided they have been fully vaccinated for at least 168 days and are eligible for a booster.