As the pace of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to accelerate with 2.2 million doses scheduled to arrive this week, the province is extending booking eligibility at mass immunization clinics to individuals aged 18 and over.
The high number of doses is due to an early May 24 shipment, to accommodate the long weekend. It is an opportunity for the province to offer an appointment to receive the vaccine to more Ontarians ahead of schedule.
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, people aged 18 or over across Ontario will be eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through the provincial booking system and call centre, or directly through public health units that use their own booking system.
The provincial vaccine book portal can be accessed here:
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/
Individuals who are 17 years old and are turning 18 in 2021 will also be eligible to book their COVID-19 vaccination appointment only for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine is currently the only COVID-19 vaccine that has been authorized by Health Canada for use in youth aged 12 and over.
The provincial booking system will note which clinics are not offering vaccines for those who are 17 years old.
“With over seven million vaccine doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered and over 50% of Ontarian adults having received a first dose of the vaccine, Ontario is well on track to administer a first dose to 65% of Ontarians by the end of May,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.
“This expansion of eligibility will help protect the health of people in Niagara, and ensure we are able to safely reopen sooner rather than later.”
In addition, the province is working to ensure youth in Ontario between 12 and 17 years of age will be eligible to book an appointment through the provincial booking system beginning the week of May 31, 2021, to receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The province is also working to encourage eligible family members who have not received a vaccine to attend these clinics to get youth and their families vaccinated as quickly as possible.
As of Tuesday, public health units may choose to provide vaccines to those aged 12 and over in pop-up and mobile clinics, as well as for walk-in appointments where the Pfizer vaccine is offered.
This will include First Nations, Inuit and Métis clinics that offer the Pfizer vaccine. There will also be dedicated clinic times for youth during the weeks of June 14 and 21, 2021.
The province achieved a significant milestone on May 12, 2021, having administered a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to over half of all Ontarians aged 18 and over, and is on track to reach 65 per cent of adults by the end of the month. As of May 15, 2021, over seven million doses have been administered province-wide.
On May 14, 2021, over 500 additional pharmacies in all 13 hot spot public health regions began administering the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.