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The expansion to those 40-plus comes only days after the Ontario Progressive Conservative government introduced new restrictions to combat spiking COVID-19 cases in the province.
Given the change in eligibility, the professional association for Ontario pharmacists says deliveries of vaccines will need to pick up to meet the increased demand.
“Supply of the vaccine at the provincial level being distributed to the pharmacies, given the large change in cohort, is definitely on our minds,” said Jen Baker, chair of the board of the Ontario Pharmacists Association. She added that she expects the AstraZeneca vaccine to be available for those 18 and older in the near future.
Harding-Hlady said the minute she found out via Twitter, she began adding her name to pharmacy wait-lists. By Monday, she had confirmed her appointment two days later at a local Pharmasave. I do very much feel that I just got lucky, said Harding-Hlady, who already had experience booking vaccination appointments for her parents and grandparents. I really feel for people that don t have that level of media savvy and computer savvy and don t speak English. All of these things are affecting who gets vaccinated and how quickly.
Ottawa Morning7:4240-somethings now eligible for AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccineThe Ontario government lowers the age so that people as young as 40 are now eligible to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at pharmacies and primary care settings. One Ottawa woman shares how she got her appointment.7:42
Sask lowers age restriction on AstraZeneca vaccine to 40 cjme.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cjme.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
But as hospitalizations surged to unprecedented levels in Ontario and Alberta saw unparalleled rates of COVID-19, their governments announced matching plans to expand eligibility. Alberta is lowering the minimum age to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from 55 to 40, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney tweeted on Sunday night. This decision is based on growing scientific knowledge about the vaccine.
He said more information would come Monday, and bookings would open Tuesday.
The office of Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott made a similar announcement hours earlier. Based on current supply, Ontario will begin offering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to individuals aged 40 and over at pharmacy and primary care settings across the province effective Tuesday, spokeswoman Alexandra Hilkene said in an email.
Posted: Apr 18, 2021 7:23 PM ET | Last Updated: April 19
Ontario will start offering the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to people 40 years of age and over starting Tuesday, a spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott said.(Alberto Pezzali/The Associated Press)
Ontario will start offering the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to people age 40 and over starting Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott said the shot will be offered at pharmacies and primary care settings.
In a statement Sunday, Alexandra Hilkene said the province made the call based on current supply of the vaccine.
Before the announcement, the vaccine was only available to people aged 55 and older in Ontario following recommendations from the National Advisory Council on Immunization (NACI) earlier this spring.