COVID-19 vaccines: Ontario speeds up second dose eligibility for 70+ and others, but not essential workers - The Globe and Mail

Humber River Hospital medical professionals administer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to residents at a Toronto Community Housing seniors building in Toronto in March.

CARLOS OSORIO/Reuters

Ontario is speeding up second doses of COVID-19 vaccines for those 70 and older, as well as some other groups as the province faces pressure to boost immunity in the face of more contagious variants.

Starting Friday, people 70 and over, as well as those who got first doses of either mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) on or before April 18, are eligible to book their second shots at pharmacies. And on Monday, those groups will be eligible to book accelerated second doses through the provincial booking site. Some public health units, such as York Region north of Toronto, have already accelerated doses for 70 and older.

The Ontario health ministry said those who were eligible to get first doses before April 18 included some people 60 and over, those with the highest risk health conditions such as kidney or stem cell transplants, education workers serving children with special needs and education workers in hotspot communities. However, not all of these groups would have received a shot before that date.

In addition, those who got AstraZeneca for their first dose can now book their second shot of either AstraZeneca or an mRNA vaccines at a pharmacy. Starting Monday, people who got AstraZeneca can also book their second shots of an mRNA vaccine on the provincial vaccine site. The province says those who got AstraZeneca can receive a second shot at 12 weeks.

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The new timeline speeds up second dose eligibility for people 70 and over by more than a week, and by three weeks for those who got first doses on or before April 18. This week, people 80 and over have been able to accelerate their second doses through the provincial system.

Ontario has been facing calls to prioritize vulnerable areas – such as hard-hit Peel Region – with second doses to try to head off the threat of the recently renamed Delta variant.

Scientists and municipal politicians have called on the government to send more vaccines to Peel, and to open up eligibility for younger populations such as essential workers.

Those who received their first shot on or before April 18 include those with the highest-risk health conditions – such as organ and stem cell transplant recipients, and pregnant people – and their caregivers, as well as people living in the highest-risk communities. But it does not explicitly include essential workers such as teachers and food manufacturing workers, who were only prioritized for first shots in May.

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COVID-19 vaccines: Ontario speeds up second dose eligibility for 70+ and others, but not essential workers - The Globe and Mail
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