The Ontario Ministry of Health is opening COVID-19 vaccine booking to people with at-risk health conditions as well as those over 40 this week.
As of Tuesday, May 11, 2021 at 8:00 a.m., individuals with at-risk health conditions such as dementia, diabetes and sickle cell disease, as well as Group Two of people who cannot work from home including grocery store, restaurant, and transportation workers will be eligible to book an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
And as of Thursday, May 13, 2021, at 8:00 a.m., people turning 40 and over 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.
Appointments can be scheduled via the provincial booking system, or directly through public health units that use their own booking system.
“With a stable and predictable supply of vaccines, Ontario’s vaccine rollout continues to pick up speed, and we are on track to administer a first dose to 65 per cent of Ontario adults by the end of May,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “As we continue to vaccinate even more Ontarians, we remain focused on protecting those most at risk, and I want to thank all of our frontline health care workers for their tireless work each day to protect the health and safety of Ontarians.”
The province is also adding high-risk health care workers, dialysis patients, and all First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals to the list of those eligible 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 by the end of the week of May 10, 2021 and booking details will be provided in the coming days.
According to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU), “the provincial booking system will soon be available for those who need to book their second dose appointment only (for those who have received their first dose but had a second dose appointment cancelled or were not provided with a dose two appointment at the time of booking their first).
“Currently our phone staff are reaching out to those who are eligible for their second dose before May 31 (received dose one Jan 9-Feb 8) and they are booking them into our existing clinics. We will continue to work through these groups (as they become due) until the provincial system is updated to allow people to book their own second dose appointments.”
People who received a vaccine through a pharmacy or health care provider will be contacted by those locations for a second dose appointment. These appointments cannot be booked on the provincial site.
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