Sask. expanding COVID-19 vaccination booster eligibility to 50+

Saskatchewan is expanding its eligibility for booster doses to those 50 and older, 18 and older in the north or living in First Nations communities and all health-care workers.

The government is also moving the interval between doses from six months to five.

Here's who is eligible for their third dose effective immediately:

• Individuals aged 50 years and older.

• Individuals 18 years and older living in the far north and those living on First Nation communities.

• All health-care workers.

• Individuals born in 2009 or earlier with underlying health conditions that are clinically extremely vulnerable, including those with diabetes.

"It has been observed that individuals may experience waning immunity due to factors like age or underlying conditions that impact the body's ability to mount a strong immune response to the vaccines." the Ministry of Health said in a news release.

Chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said the province studied recent case activity before making the changes.

"Although small, we were seeing a definite signal of an increase in breakthrough cases mostly mild but a few unfortunately resulting in hospitalizations at that five-month mark. That's why, based on our own epidemiology, we made the decision."

Shahab said the government has compiled data on November breakthrough cases and will release it in the coming days.

He said the expansion in eligibility will make roughly 350,000 people able to receive their third dose.

Shahab said 57 per cent of people over 65 have received a third dose.

The government said it will aim to have all individuals 18 and older eligible for a booster by early 2022.

People that have already received a third dose for travel purposes do not need a fourth, the government said.

The boosters will be available through the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Indigenous Services Canada, Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority. People shouldn't book their third dose before they reach their five-month eligibility mark.

The Ministry of Health is recommending those who received two doses of AstraZeneca get an mRNA vaccine as a third dose.

It said those who received Janssen single dose vaccine are eligible for a booster dose two months after their shot.