By: Laura Steiner
Ontario Residents age 80 and over will be able to book their second appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine May 31. The announcement was made in an update from Premier Doug Ford earlier today.
“Having made so much progress administering first doses, we are now in a position to begin delivering second doses for a two dose summer,” Ford said. The province projects that they’ll have 65% of residents age 18+ vaccinated by the end of May, which, allows for the vaccine rollout to advance based based on a potential schedule for eligibility, and anticipated supply. The schedule is as follows:
- May 31: 80+ will be able to book their second vaccine appointments
- June 14: Residents 70+ will be able to book their appointments
The province will continue rolling out the appointments based on the date of the first appointment to other age groups. “Accelerating second doses will provide more protection to Ontarians sooner. Every dose administered means we are one step closer to the end of the pandemic, and I encourage all Ontarians to get vaccinated and keep following public health guidelines,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said. Appointments will be booked through the provincial website
The province continues to distribute the AstraZeneca vaccine through their pharmacies. Residents who had their first appointment between March 10-19 are eligible to book their second appointment at a 12 week interval depending on vaccine supply. “As Ontario’s vaccine rollout continues, we are expanding our distribution plan in response to medical expertise, and the availability of second doses,” Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said. There are reports that as many as 45,000 AstraZeneca doses will expire as soon as Monday.
