Health Department announces opening of COVID-19 vaccination site in Whitby

Other area municipal sites delayed due to shortage of vaccine supply from province

Whitby, Ontario - Durham Region Health Department is announcing that the COVID-19 vaccination clinic located at the McKinney Centre, 222 McKinney Drive, Whitby, will begin operating on March 15. Appointments at the clinic will run from 10:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. This clinic is now accepting appointments for individuals 80 years and older, or those who will be turning 80 this year, to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. To book an appointment for this clinic, visit www.durham.ca/vaccineappointment. Seniors who are unable to use the online booking system are invited to call 1-888-444-5113 for assistance to register by phone.

With the opening of the Whitby vaccination clinic location, there are now four locations in Durham Region offering COVID-19 vaccinations including, Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex, 2440 Durham Regional Hwy. 2, Bowmanville, Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex,1867 Valley Farm Road, Pickering and Durham College/Ontario Tech University Campus Ice Centre, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa. All clinics will now operate from 10:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. Information on booking appointments for Garnet B. Rickard Recreational Complex and Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex is www.durham.ca/vaccineappointment. To book appointments at Durham College Ontario Tech University Campus Ice Centre visit covidvaccine.lh.ca or call 905-721-4828 for assistance to register by phone.

Although additional clinic sites were also scheduled to open in other area municipalities starting the week of March 15, the Health Department recently received confirmation from the province for vaccine supply up to March 28 which indicates there will be insufficient vaccine to open other clinics as planned.

As a result, the opening of the Ajax Audley Centre clinic site, scheduled to open March 16, as well as the north Durham clinics sites in Scugog, Uxbridge and Brock, scheduled to open March 15, will be delayed. The Health Department has been told by the province that vaccine supply is expected to increase the week of March 22, which will help to support the opening of the remaining sites. However, the opening of these sites is dependent upon vaccine delivery dates which have not yet been confirmed by the province.

Community residents are also advised that the booking phone number for three clinics has changed from 1-800-841-2729 to 1-888-444-5113. This phone number should be used to access the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex, the Chestnut Hill Developments Complex, and the McKinney Centre clinics. It should also be noted that while the province will be launching a new provincial booking system on March 15, Durham Region residents who call the provincial booking system will be transferred back to the Durham Region booking system. It is recommended that area residents continue to use www.durham.ca/vaccineappointment to book appointments.

For a listing of current and upcoming community-wide vaccination clinics, as well as more information on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan for Durham Region visit www.durham.ca/covidvaccines.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department