All adults in Ontario who received a mRNA vaccine will become eligible to book a second shot next week
Ontario is allowing anyone aged 18 and up who received a first dose of a mRNA vaccine to book their second dose starting next week.
As of 8 a.m. on June 28, all adults who received a first dose of Pfizer or Moderna will become eligible to book their shot ahead of schedule using the provincial system.
According to the province, this will accelerate second dose eligibility for about 1.5 million people in Ontario.
For those who received their first dose this month, there is still a 21-day minimum interval between Pfizer doses and a 28-day minimum interval for Moderna.
“Ontario’s vaccine rollout continues to pick up speed, allowing us to provide more second doses ahead of schedule while supporting our communities most at risk,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a statement.
“All vaccines provide strong protection against COVID-19 and the Delta variant, and I encourage everyone to book your second dose appointment as soon as possible.”
Individuals who received a first dose of AstraZeneca must still wait the eight-week interval before getting a second shot of either the same vaccine or a mRNA option.
The province is also allowing youth between the ages of 12 and 17 in one of Ontario’s 10 Delta variant hot spots to book their second dose starting 8 a.m. on June 26.
The hot spots include the Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Peel, Porcupine, Simcoe-Muskoka, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York public health units
“To support a safe return to school in September, the province will be looking to accelerate youth second dose bookings following individuals aged 18 and over,” the province said in a news release issued Friday.
As of Wednesday, anyone in a Delta variant hot spots who received their first dose on or before May 30 became eligible for a second dose.
The province says that 230,000 additional doses were provided to Delta hot spots this week to help accelerate second shots in the regions.
In the province's original vaccine rollout, individuals who received their shot after May 30 weren't scheduled to get their second dose until August.
According to officials, more than 76 per cent of Ontario adults have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than 30 per cent have received two shots.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.