More COVID-19 booster shots likely this fall, but most residents can wait until then, experts say

If you haven't yet received a COVID-19 booster shot, you'll likely be asked to get one this fall, health officials said. 

Just 180 people in Windsor-Essex received a COVID-19 vaccination last week, according to data from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. Most of those were fifth or sixth doses.

That's not too concerning to local public health officials, who are anticipating another wave of respiratory diseases to hit this fall — and said it might be best to hold off on getting your booster shot until then. 

"We expect that in the fall there would be a surge in different respiratory diseases including COVID-19. This is what we see seasonally and this is aligned with observation in southern hemisphere," said Dr. Medhi Aloosh, medical officer of health for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Earlier this month the National Advisory Council on Immunization issued its recommendation for when people should receive booster shots, and said there will be a new COVID-19 booster, targeted to the virus currently circulating, released in the fall.

For people who are at risk — people with compromised immune systems, cancer, those who are living in long-term care or the elderly — Aloosh said they can speak with their care provider about receiving booster shots now.

For those who aren't at an elevated risk, they can hold off for now, he added, to ensure boosters give them the maximum protection when they need it most. 

"The general population who doesn't have any underlying diseases, we encourage them to hang in there," Aloosh said. 

"We want people to be protected the when they really need that and that's in respiratory season then they should have the maximum protection.

"We want people to be protected when they really need it and that's in respiratory season."

Dr. Fahad Razak grew up in Windsor and still has family in the area. He was the last director of the province's COVID-19 science advisory table. 

He said vaccine hesitancy and resistance are real challenges in the world of public health. 

"It's a significant problem with hesitancy and from a smaller percentage of the population — I don't want to over emphasize their importance — but there is a percentage of population that have moved beyond hesitancy to hostility towards the idea of vaccination," said Razak. 

"Look, we have a lot of work ahead of us right now from the public health clinical side to help remake the case for why these things are important but not a panacea."