Provincial update: Expanding booking eligibility for COVID-19 vaccines
A stable and reliable increase in vaccine supply to Ontario is enabling the government to further expand eligibility to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.
On May 11, individuals with such as dementia, diabetes and sickle cell disease, as well as of people who cannot work from home, including grocery store, restaurant and transportation workers, became eligible to book an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition, effective Thursday, May 13 at 8 a.m., individuals turning 40 and older in 2021 in non-hot spot communities will also be eligible to book an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a mass immunization clinic. Eligible individuals can schedule an appointment through the , or directly through public-health units that use their own booking system. This builds upon the eligibility of those aged 18 and older in hot spot areas and aligns with announced on May 2.
To make it easier than ever to get vaccinated, the province has expanded the use of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to . Nearly 80 pharmacy locations are , and up to 60 pharmacies are in Durham, Hamilton, Ottawa, Windsor-Essex and York regions to individuals aged 18 and over. Further expansion of pharmacy locations offering COVID-19 vaccines will continue through May.
In addition, due to increased vaccine supply, the province is adding high-risk health-care workers, dialysis patients, and all First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals to book their appointment to receive a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier than the extended four-month interval. These groups face a greater risk of contracting and suffering serious illness from COVID-19. Eligibility for booking will begin Friday, May 14 and booking details will be provided soon.
Ontario continues to expand eligibility and access at mass immunization clinics, hospital clinics and pharmacies and continues to conduct employer-based and community-based pop-up clinics. The province is on track to have administered first doses to 65 per cent of Ontarians aged 18 and over by the end of May.
Ontarians who are now eligible to book their vaccine appointment are asked to be patient, as it could take time to receive their vaccine. Public-health units are responsible for managing and overseeing the distribution and administration of vaccines for their entire region, and public-health units may have different vaccine administration rates based on local context.
