Yukon to offer booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine starting with people aged 50 and up

WHITEHORSE – The Yukon government says booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be available starting Monday for eligible residents aged 50 and up.

It says the booster shots will be rolled out in phases beginning with that age group, but the clinics may be expanded in future to include young people.

The territory says in a statement that people are eligible for a booster shot when at least six months have passed since completing their first series of two doses.

It says clinics will begin in Carcross, Watson Lake and Whitehorse next week and all other communities will have booster shot clinics within the following six weeks.

The territory says a limited number of immunocompromised Yukon residents have already received a third dose as part of their primary series of shots.

Acting chief medical officer of health Dr. Catherine Elliott says in a statement that booster doses help those who may have a dip in their immune response over time to reach the highest protection from COVID-19 again.

The territory’s latest count on Wednesday showed 69 active COVID-19 infections out of a total of 902 cases diagnosed in Yukon since the pandemic began.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2021.