As a seventh wave of COVID-19 begins sweeping across Canada, with the Omicron BA.5 subvariant driving transmission, some provinces are expanding eligibility for a fourth dose of the vaccine.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) released its guidance for a fall booster campaign late last month. The federal advisory body recommended that those with increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 should be offered a shot in the fall, adding that anyone between the ages of 12 and 64 may also be eligible at that time.
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Although all provinces are offering a fourth dose to eligible groups, as of June 19, just over half of Canadians have yet to receive their third dose, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
“I would really double down on those efforts, in terms of getting fourth doses into the most vulnerable, and third doses into a lot of people who are still eligible but have not yet received them,” said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist and physician with the University Health Network in Toronto.
While most provinces are already offering a fourth shot (or, for the general population, a second booster, as some immunocompromised individuals receive a third shot during their primary series) to their most vulnerable residents, some — such as Quebec and P.E.I. — have expanded eligibility substantially.
WATCH | Specialist says 3rd, 4th shots are important:
3rd and 4th COVID-19 shots both important right now, says expert
1 day ago
Duration 3:59
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch explains who benefits most from a fourth dose of COVID-19, but also stresses the need for many people to simply get a third shot.
“Those who would most benefit from a fourth dose are people on the older end of the spectrum and people with underlying medical conditions that put them at greater risk for severe infection,” Bogoch said, speaking specifically to the eligibility guidelines in July 2022.
“That’s what the data suggests,” he said. “So even if it’s opened up, just remember, that’s who would most benefit from a fourth dose.”
Below, CBC News has gathered eligibility guidelines from every province and territory.
The North and West Coast
Agnes Mills, 85, was the first person in the Yukon to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Last week, the territorial government expanded eligibility for a fourth shot to those aged 18 and up. (Mark Kelly Photography/Government of Yukon)
All individuals 18 and older can now book a fourth shot if six months have passed since their third shot. Appointments begin on July 13. For those who have recently had COVID-19, a fourth shot (or second booster) is not recommended until three months have passed.
In the Northwest Territories, all individuals aged 50 and older and all immunocompromised people aged 12 and older are eligible to receive a fourth dose. In accordance with NACI’s guidelines, the territory recommends that individuals wait at least six months after their third dose before booking another shot.
Residents of Nunavut aged 18 and older are eligible for a fourth dose if it has been 4½ months since their last dose. Some jurisdictions are prioritizing specific age groups.
In British Columbia, everyone aged 12 and up can receive a booster shot if six months have passed since their last dose, though those eligible are advised to wait until fall.
The province currently recommends a fourth dose for individuals aged 70 and older; people in long-term care or awaiting placement in long-term care; Indigenous people aged 55 and older; and all immunocompromised people.
The Prairies
A scene from a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Thompson, Man. on Feb. 1, 2021. Among other groups, all Manitobans aged 50 and up are eligible for a fourth dose. (Tyson Koschik/CBC)
In Alberta, those 70 and up are eligible for a fourth dose; First Nations, Métis and Inuit people aged 65 and older; and all seniors living in congregate-care settings, regardless of age.
According to the most recently available data from PHAC, 38 per cent of Alberta’s population has received a third dose.
In Saskatchewan, all individuals 50 and over are eligible for a fourth dose if it’s been at least four months since they received their last shot.
Groups eligible for a fourth dose of the vaccine in Manitoba are individuals aged 50 and older; First Nations, Métis and Inuit people aged 30 and up; residents of personal care homes and elderly people living in congregate settings; and moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals aged 18 to 49.
Central Canada
The Vaccibus mobile clinic makes a stop at the University of Quebec in Outaouais in the first week of September 2021. Quebec has expanded eligibility for a fourth dose of the vaccine to all residents aged 18 and older. (Hugo Belanger/Radio-Canada)
As of July 14 in Ontario, all adults aged 18 to 59 who had a third shot at least five months ago (or three months since a COVID-19 infection) will be eligible for a fourth. Previously, the eligible groups were those aged 60 and older and First Nations, Métis and Inuit people who are 18 and older.
According to public health officials, Quebec and Ontario entered the seventh wave of the pandemic last week, with the Omicron BA.5 subvariant dominating in both provinces.
Meanwhile, Quebec has expanded fourth-dose eligibility to all residents aged 18 and older, though a provincial spokesperson confirmed to CBC News that the province is prioritizing people 60 years and up, all individuals with underlying medical conditions, and anyone at a higher risk of complications from COVID-19.
Atlantic Canada
A walk-in clinic is held at the Halifax Convention Centre. Nova Scotia’s current guidelines allow fourth doses for those aged 50 and older, if 168 days have passed since their last dose. (Robert Short/CBC)
The chief public health officer of Prince Edward Island announced last week that the province has expanded eligibility for a fourth shot to every resident aged 12 and up, as COVID-19 case numbers rise among Islanders.
Starting July 20 in Newfoundland and Labrador, anyone over 50 will be eligible for a fourth dose of the vaccine. Until then, those eligible are people aged 70 and older; all individuals living in a congregate setting for seniors; and Indigenous people or individuals living in a remote or isolated Indigenous community aged 18 and up.
WATCH | People over 50 eligible in N.L.:
N.L. offers 2nd COVID-19 booster to those over 50
4 hours ago
Duration 0:49
Newfoundland and Labrador is opening up eligibility for a second COVID-19 booster shot to anyone over 50, but the chief medical officer of health says there are many things to consider before getting another dose.
As of July 12, all residents of New Brunswick aged 18 and up are eligible for a fourth dose of the vaccine if it has been five months since their last shot. Chief medical officer of health, Dr. Jennifer Russell, announced the decision as hospitalizations rise across the province.
Nova Scotia’s current guidelines allow fourth doses for people aged 50 and older if 168 days have passed since their last dose.
For all residents of long-term care and senior congregate settings, members of First Nations communities who are 55 and older, and immunocompromised people aged 50 and older, the recommended interval between doses is 120 days.
Book here for an mRNA vaccine (Moderna, Pfizer). Book here for a non-mRNA vaccine (Janssen, Novavax). mRNA vaccines are recommended for most people in Canada.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Lions coach Dan Campbell is selling his suburban Detroit home to get more privacy.
“There’s plenty of space, it’s on two acres, the home is beautiful,” Campbell told Crain’s Detroit Business. “It’s just that people figured out where we lived when we lost.”
He didn’t elaborate.
Campbell and wife Holly listed the 7,800-square-foot house in Bloomfield Hills for $4.5 million this week. A deal was pending within 24 hours, Crain’s reported.
Campbell was hired by the Lions in 2021. After a 3-13-1 record that season, the team has become one of the best in the NFL, reaching the NFC championship game last January.
Campbell’s home was built in 2013 for Igor Larionov, a Hockey Hall of Fame member who played for the Detroit Red Wings.
The likely buyers are “huge” Lions fans, said Ashley Crain, who is representing Campbell and the buyers in the sale.
Ariella Kimmel and Mandi Johnson were grabbing a bite to eat in Vienna, when their August trip to the Austrian capital was upended.
The Canadian duo had travelled to the city to see Taylor Swift in concert only to learn her shows would be cancelled because of two men plotting to launch an attack on fans outside the venue, Ernst Happel Stadium.
While Kimmel and Johnson were disappointed they weren’t going to be able to see Swift perform, they made the most of the remainder of their trip. However, the experience serves as a buyer’s beware for Canadians considering jet setting to see their favourite artists or teams.
“If you’re travelling to these concerts, it’s really hard to protect yourself,” said Kimmel, a Toronto-based vice-president at a public affairs firm who had previously travelled with Johnson to see Swift in Las Vegas, Nashville and Stockholm.
Such trips can make lifelong memories when they go off without a hitch, but cancellations and rescheduled events are common because of artist illnesses, poor ticket sales, security threats, unruly weather and natural disasters.
In the last year alone, Jennifer Lopez and the Black Keys scuttled touring plans after tickets had been sold, while Bruce Springsteen, Usher and Pink had to tell fans they couldn’t take the stage mere hoursbefore show time.
Between airfares, hotels, travel expenses and tickets, last-minute cancellations can leave globe-trotting eventgoers out hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
“Regrettably, unpredictability has always been a reality of the industry but it’s increasingly common that there might be things that are going to interrupt your plans, especially plans that you’re really excited about,” said Jenny Kost, the Calgary-based global director of strategic sales initiatives at Corporate Traveller Canada.
“It’s a tricky one because the airline or hotel understands the reason behind your travel but its likelihood of happening or not happening is a little bit outside of their purview.”
Because Swift is known to power through shows even when sick, Kimmel never imagined a concert she was headed to would ever be cancelled, but she always booked plane tickets and hotels that could be rescheduled or refunded — a move she recommends to others travelling for events.
“It’s like common sense, you never know what’s going to happen,” Kimmel said.
However, making use of the rescheduling and refund options her hotel booking and airline tickets had weren’t an option for Kimmel this time because she had already been in Austria for a few days and had very little of her stay left when Swift cancelled.
Had the show been nixed before Kimmel left home, the flexibility baked into the bookings would have been useful, though Kost said such arrangements aren’t cheap.
“There is a cost associated with that that’s not insignificant,” she warned, estimating these kinds of bookings can add hundreds of dollars to your bill and have lots of quirks in the fine print.
The better bet is travel insurance, Kost said. It’s often cheaper than flexible fares and hotel bookings and can reimburse customers for accommodations and flights they have to drop or swap when an event gets cancel or an emergency strikes.
Kost opted for such insurance when she journeyed to Paris to see Swift over the summer and bought it again in a cab on her way to Mexico for a wedding. The insurance cost her about $150 for a week, but when she had to extend her stay because she fell ill, it covered the cost of all of her accommodations.
She doesn’t encourage people to wait until the last minute to buy the insurance like she did because buying it early can provide some reprieve when an event you’re travelling to is cancelled well in advance.
Travel costs aside, people heading out-of-town for events that wind up cancelled also have to consider whether they will get the money they spent on entry fees and tickets back.
In Kimmel and Johnson’s case, they paid Ticketmaster about $300 per seat. They learned just after the cancellation that they would be refunded — but not for an $85 transaction fee they were charged when purchasing the tickets.
“We paid $85 to not see her but I guess that in the grand scheme of what we were going to pay, it’s not a lot at all,” Kimmel said.
They did not opt to buy insurance on their tickets, which Ticketmaster offers through Allianz Global Assistance for $8, plus tax. Allianz’s vice-president of marketing and insights Dan Keon said the insurance offers coverage up to $1,000 per ticket.
In addition to offering refunds if an event is cancelled by a venue or promoter, the coverage can provide a reimbursement for a variety of situations. Those include if you are facing a serious medical issue or death, have a family member in life-threatening condition, are summoned by the military or are delayed in arriving at the venue because of a common transportation carrier.
If you’re going to opt into the insurance, Keon said review the terms ahead of time, so you understand exactly what scenarios you will be covered in.
The insurance, for example, can’t be used in the event of a pandemic, war or natural disaster.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Losing a loved one is never easy, and the legal steps that follow can add even more stress to an already difficult time.
For years, families in Vancouver (and Canada in general) have struggled with a complex probate process—filled with paperwork and legal challenges.
Thankfully, recent changes to Canada’s probate laws aim to make this process simpler and easier to navigate.
Let’s unearth how these updates can simplify the process for you and your family.
What is probate?
Probate might sound complicated, but it’s simply the legal process of settling someone’s estate after death.
Here’s how it works.
Validating the will. The court checks if the will is legal and valid.
Appointing an executor. If named in the will, the executor manages the estate. If not, the court appoints someone.
Settling debts and taxes. The executor (and you) pays debts and taxes before anything can be given.
Distributing the estate. Once everything is settled, the executor distributes the remaining assets according to the will or legal rules.
Probate ensures everything is done by the book, giving you peace of mind during a difficult time.
Recent Changes in Canadian Probate Laws
Several updates to probate law in the country are making the process smoother for you and your family.
Here’s a closer look at the fundamental changes that are making a real difference.
1) Virtual witnessing of wills
Now permanent in many provinces, including British Columbia, wills can be signed and witnessed remotely through video calls.
Such a change makes estate planning more accessible, especially for those in remote areas or with limited mobility.
2) Simplified process for small estates
Smaller estates, like those under 25,000 CAD in BC, now have a faster, simplified probate process.
Fewer forms and legal steps mean less hassle for families handling modest estates.
3) Substantial compliance for wills
Courts can now approve wills with minor errors if they reflect the person’s true intentions.
This update prevents unnecessary legal challenges and ensures the deceased’s wishes are respected.
These changes help make probate less stressful and more efficient for you and other families across Canada.
The Probate Process and You: The Role of a Probate Lawyer
(Image: Freepik.com)
Working with a probate lawyer in Vancouver can significantly simplify the probate process, especially given the city’s complex legal landscape.
Here’s how they can help.
Navigating the legal process
Probate lawyers ensure all legal steps are followed, preventing costly mistakes and ensuring the estate is managed properly.
Handling paperwork and deadlines
They manage all the paperwork and court deadlines, taking the burden off of you during this difficult time.
Resolving disputes
If conflicts arise, probate lawyers resolve them, avoiding legal battles.
Providing you peace of mind
With a probate lawyer’s expertise, you can trust that the estate is being handled efficiently and according to the law.
With a skilled probate lawyer, you can ensure the entire process is smooth and stress-free.
Why These Changes Matter
The updates to probate law make a big difference for Canadian families. Here’s why.
Less stress for you. Simplified processes mean you can focus on grieving, not paperwork.
Faster estate settlements. Estates are settled more quickly, so beneficiaries don’t face long delays.
Fewer disputes. Courts can now honor will with minor errors, reducing family conflicts.
Accessible for everyone. Virtual witnessing and easier rules for small estates make probate more accessible for everyone, no matter where you live.
With these changes, probate becomes smoother and more manageable for you and your family.
How to Prepare for the Probate Process
Even with the recent changes, being prepared makes probate smoother. Here are a few steps to help you prepare.
Create a will. Ensure a valid will is in place to avoid complications.
Choose an executor. Pick someone responsible for managing the estate and discuss their role with them.
Organize documents. Keep key financial and legal documents in one place for easy access.
Talk to your family. Have open conversations with your family to prevent future misunderstandings.
Get legal advice. Consult with a probate lawyer to ensure everything is legally sound and up-to-date.
These simple steps make the probate process easier for everyone involved.
Wrapping Up: Making Probate Easier in Vancouver
Recent updates in probate law are simplifying the process for families, from virtual witnessing to easier estate rules. These reforms are designed to ease the burden, helping you focus on what matters—grieving and respecting your dead loved ones’ final wishes.
Despite these changes, it’s best to consult a probate lawyer to ensure you can manage everything properly. Remember, they’re here to help you during this difficult time.
