Ontario will begin accelerating second COVID-19 vaccine doses in 7 delta variant hot spots
Ontario will begin accelerating second doses for individuals who received their first shot on or before May 9 in seven hot spot areas where the delta variant is a concern.
Individuals in hot spots within Halton, Peel, Porcupine, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York public health units will be eligible to book their second Pfizer or Moderna doses through the provincial booking system as of 8 a.m. on June 14.
They will also be eligible at pharmacies and through local public health booking systems.
Officials said the province will not be restricting vaccine doses by postal codes in these hot spots and eligibility applies to the whole region.
There are no further changes to vaccine eligibility outside of the hot spots.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference on Thursday afternoon, Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the province will continue to accelerate second doses as additional vaccines are allocated by the federal government.
“This is an exciting time and we know that there are brighter days ahead,” she said. “Please continue to follow the public health measures that are in place to keep us safe and get vaccinated as soon as you’re able. If we all do our part, we will be able to enjoy a safe, two dose summer.”
- UPDATED TIMELINE: When can you book your second shot?
The province said they will be providing “additional allocation” of vaccines where “local inventory has been utilized.” However, no further details were provided regarding the number or percentage of doses that will be allocated.
“What I can tell you is that we are working virtually on a daily basis with all of the public health units across the province and asking them to use what they have in their freezers to make sure that we can get as many needles into arms as possible,” Elliott said.
“As they work through what they have remaining, then they will be receiving more supplies.”
Workplace mobile clinics, as well as employer-led clinics in Toronto, Peel and York regions, will also begin second doses the week of June 20.
People line up in Crescent Town for a COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinic on June 18, 2021. (Francis Gibbs/CTV NEWS TORONTO)
Public health experts have said the spread of the delta variant, first discovered in India, could send the province into a fourth wave.
Last week, the Ontario science advisory table estimated that the delta variant now makes up about 23 per cent of Ontario's cases, representing an estimated 200 new cases each day over that one-week period.
This week, individuals aged 70 and up, as well as individuals who had a first dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine on or before April 18, were allowed to book a second shot. Those who received a first dose of AstraZeneca and wanted to receive a mRNA vaccine could also schedule their second dose through the provincial booking system or their local pharmacy.
Individuals who have received AstraZeneca must still wait 12 weeks before receiving a second dose.
When Elliott was asked about reducing the window between AstraZeneca doses similar to other provinces, she said that the 12-week interval is “the gold standard” and that the government is following the advice of medical experts.
Officials are encouraging residents who received their vaccine outside of Ontario to contact their local public health units to ensure their vaccination status has been properly recorded.
According to the government, 73 per cent of adults in Ontario have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 11 per cent have received both shots and are considered fully vaccinated.
Of those fully vaccinated, the majority are aged 60 and over.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Evacuation order issued for some Fort McMurray neighbourhoods as wildfire nears
Four Fort McMurray neighbourhoods were ordered to evacuate as a wildfire gets closer to the city.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
BREAKING 'A remarkable time': After 8 years at Toronto Public Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa announces resignation
The doctor who led Toronto through the COVID-19 pandemic as the city’s top public health official is stepping down.
BREAKING Sask. man faces 60 charges in child exploitation investigation, with crimes dating back to 2005
Saskatchewan RCMP have revealed that a historic sexual assault investigation has led to the discovery of alleged crimes against children dating back to 2005.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
American sought after 'So I raped you' Facebook message detained in France on 2021 warrant
An American accused of sexually assaulting a Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said, 'So I raped you,' has been detained in France after a three-year search.
Full List Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
1 killed, 3 injured in head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.