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15 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,A ugust 4,2022 w aterloochronicle.ca WATERLOO REGION RECORD HOME DELIVERY Starting at $2.75*/week for 52 weeks SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: therecord.com/save Or call 1-800-210-5210 and quote one of the following codes: Weekend delivery code: CWWGGIFT - includes a $20 bonus gift** 6-DAY delivery code: CWRGGIFT - includes a $40 bonus gift** *Plus HST. See full terms and condi�ons at therecord.com/save. This introductory offer is not available to current Waterloo Region Record subscribers. The weekend offer, $2.75/wk., includes the Friday and Saturday edi�on of the Waterloo Region Record Newspaper. The 6-day offer, $5.99/wk., includes Monday - Saturday edi�ons of the Waterloo Region Record Newspaper. The New York Times Interna�onal Weekly and Book Review sec�on and Record TV book are not included. Save 44% off the newsstand rate for the weekend offer and save 54% off the newsstand rate for the 6-day offer. Home delivery will con�nue a�er the 12-month introductory period at the regular home-delivery rate then in effect. Contact customer service at 1-800-210-5210 or 519-894-3000 to get the regular rate for your area. Payment must be made by credit card only. View our subscriber agreement at thestar.com/agreement and our privacy policy at thestar.com/privacy. **The $20 or $40 ESSO™ and MOBIL™ e-gi� card will be emailed to you once your first payment is processed successfully. Please allow 1-4 weeks for delivery of your e-gi� card. Refunds are not available for the value of the e-gi� card. Subscrip�ons cancelled prior to the end of the subscrip�on term will be charged back for the value of the e-gi� card. A valid email address is required to email the e-gi� card to you. Offer expires September 15, 2022. Esso is a trademark of Imperial Oil Limited. Imperial Oil, licensee. Mobil is a trademark or registered trademark of Exxon Mobil Corpora�on or one of its subsidiaries. Imperial Oil, licensee. For terms and condi�ons, visit h�ps://gi�cards.esso.ca/terms. U P TO LIMITED-TIME OFFER! 54%OFF SUMMER BONUSGIFT GET AN ESSO™ ANDMOBIL™ E-GIFT CARD** WITH SUBSCRIPTION The choice to get a fourth COVID shot has been left in the hands of the young and healthy. "It is up to the individu- al," said Dr. Zain Chagla, infectious disease physi- cian at St. Joseph's Health- care in Hamilton. Unlike other doses, there is no universal rec- ommendation for those un- der age 60 with no underly- ing health conditions. "It's not black and white," said Dr. Fahad Ra- zak, scientific director of the Ontario COVID-19 Sci- ence Advisory Table. The decision can be a tough one so Razak and Chagla provide some an- swers to help make an in- formed choice. WHO SHOULD GET A FOURTH DOSE? There is no question that adults age 60 and over should get a fourth shot now. It's also recom- mended for Ontarians who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. "These folks have been eligible for some time, there is prevention from se- vere disease and death in this age group, and so peo- ple should head out to get their shots," said Chagla. Razak agreed saying, "High risk groups, go get it now." WHO SHOULD CONSIDER IT? Razak suggests three groups of young and healthy adults might con- sider getting a fourth dose now: Those who had their third shot six months ago or longer; Front-line work- ers worried about a higher chance of potential expo- sure; and Close contacts of those at higher-risk of se- vere infection. SHOULDN'T EVERYONE GET A FOURTH DOSE? "It might be better for some individuals to wait, especially as the data for fourth doses is temporary protection in younger indi- viduals," said Chagla. "On top of this a lot of people with three doses got Omi- cron, and so they are func- tionally boosted in that context, so may be worth it to wait." WHY WAIT? "There is a novel vac- cine likely coming in the fall, plus the fall respirato- ry season, and we know longer intervals can lead to better responses," said Chagla. • The new shot is biva- lent, which means it tar- gets the original coronavi- rus strain as well as Omi- cron. • "The Moderna vaccine data suggests higher anti- body responses to Omicron with the bivalent vaccine," said Chagla "That's good news going into a high transmission season." • But Razak cautions the difference might not be as dramatic as hoped with the new vaccine -- plus, the vi- rus is constantly evolving so it's hard to say what the fall will bring. WHAT DOES THE FOURTH SHOT DO? "It will temporarily give protection against infec- tion but this is very short lived," said Chagla. He said it's likely to last six to eight weeks com- pared to more than 20 weeks with the third dose. "In a young healthy per- son those benefits are tiny," said Chagla. However, it's worth it for those who are older and im- mune compromised be- cause it will reduce their risk of severe disease," he said. THE BOTTOM LINE For young and healthy Ontarians, the third dose is the most important. "The biggest opportuni- ty that hasn't been pursued is the third dose," said Ra- zak. "There's very clear evi- dence it's highly effective." Chagla agreed saying, "Three shots still offers sig- nificant protection from se- vere disease." DO I NEED A FOURTH DOSE? If you're young and healthy, it's up to you to decide if this is the right time to get a second COVID booster. Metroland file photo JOANNA FRKETICH jfrketich@thespec.com NEWS ONTARIO EXPERTS ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT SECOND COVID BOOSTER