Ontario’s top doctor said Thursday that he is "in no way satisfied" with the current pace at which COVID-19 booster shots are being handed out in the province and wants to see the vaccine rollout accelerate.

Dr. Kieran Moore made the comments when asked what steps should be taken to help get the Omicron variant under control.

“I hope Ontarians will, as usual, do their best in this very difficult time to limit the spread of this virus, to come forward to get their third doses,” Moore said. “This is crucial, that we increase our numbers. I am in no way happy at 180,000 doses a day. I would love us to, as the threat increases in the coming days, to get more and more individuals protected with the vaccine.”

Since early December the government has been saying that it would like to be giving out 200,000 to 300,000 doses per day, but the province has rarely hit above the 200,000 mark since then.

While the province did reach above 200,000 on the four days before Christmas, with a high of 253,000 reported on Dec. 23, vaccinations plummeted below 100,000 for several days over the holidays. Just under 14,000 doses were reported on Boxing Day.

Over the past seven days, an average of 133,299 doses have been handed out each day, the vast majority booster shots.

Just over 30 per cent of Ontarians aged five and up have had a booster shot now.

The government has previously issued a "call to arms" for those with relevant experience, such as firefighters and dentists, to help give out booster doses and ordered hospitals to ramp up vaccination clinics. But the measures do not appear to have been sufficient to hit the targets.

While all those 18 and up are theoretically eligible to receive a booster, some health units have not even begun administering third doses to those under 50 years old. York Region said Thursday that it plans to start offering appointments to those 18 and up on Jan. 10.

 

LIKE TAKING AN EXTRA PRECAUTION WHILE DRIVING

While Omicron is fairly new, the available research so far indicates that a booster shot of an mRNA vaccine raises protection against symptomatic infection by the variant from around 30-40 per cent to around 70 per cent.

While those with a booster shot can still contract Omicron and become symptomatic, the chance of infection is reduced and protection against hospitalization and serious illness remains high.

Speaking with reporters Thursday, Toronto's medical officer of health Dr. Eileen de Villa likened various health measures, including vaccines, to the different safety measures one takes when driving.

“If you drive, there are many steps that you take to reduce the likelihood that you will find yourself in a motor vehicle accident,” de Villa said. “Things like watching your speed, driving for the weather conditions, keeping your vehicle in good working order, turning on your lights to make sure you're visible. Alone, any of these measures will help. Used together, they significantly reduce the risk that you will experience a car accident.”

She urged people to get whatever vaccine doses they are eligible for as soon as possible.

Ontario said Thursday that it will give education and child-care workers priority access to vaccination appointments starting Friday, but it is unclear whether that will speed up the overall pace of vaccination.

 

‘DIFFICULT’ MONTH AHEAD

Speaking generally about next steps in combatting the virus, Moore said “it will be a very difficult January.”

“We will reflect on whether we timed our decisions appropriately given a very new threat in this province of Omicron,” he said. “I take full responsibility for advising government on these decisions. I hope we’ve done the right decision making. I absolutely am reluctant to take away the freedoms of businesses and individuals and to keep our schools closed. These are very difficult, difficult decisions to make.”

It is hard to know the true number of cases because of testing limitations, but infections have skyrocketed in recent weeks. Hospitalizations have also sharply trended upward over the past week while ICU admissions tick upward as well. Absences due to COVID-19 infections and isolation requirements are also producing difficult staff shortages across many sectors.

The Ford government has said that kids will continue to learn remotely until at least Jan. 17 and that other public health restrictions, such as capacity limits on most businesses, will remain in place until at least Jan. 26 pending changing health indicators.

The government has said that in part, the restrictions are meant to allow time for more booster shots to get in arms before normal activities resume.