Health Department expands eligibility for vaccine to individuals 12+

Province unexpectedly moved up original eligibility date from May 31 to May 23

Whitby, Ontario - Durham Region Health Department is expanding vaccine eligibility to individuals 12 years and older. Bookings for this eligibility group will be available starting May 25 at 9 p.m. To book appointments, visit www.durham.ca/vaccineappointment or call 1-888-444-5113. Identification with date of birth is required. Individuals must be 12 years or older at the time of appointment.

On May 13, the Ontario government originally announced that bookings would open for youth 12 to 17-years old for Pfizer vaccine beginning on May 31. Additionally, adult family members who also needed a first dose would be able to get vaccinated at the same time. However, on May 21, the province unexpectedly announced that this group was being moved up to May 23 at 8 a.m. As Pfizer vaccine is the only approved vaccine for the 12 to 17-year old population and the Health Department has not received any additional supply to accommodate this unexpected change, a review of current Pfizer vaccine supply was necessary to open appointments for the 12 to 17-year old population sooner than was originally planned.

Appointments will now be available starting on May 31 at Ajax, Pickering, Clarington and Oshawa mass immunization clinics. For north Durham, which currently offers Moderna vaccine, clinic dates have been added offering Pfizer vaccine for individuals 12-plus beginning on June 8 starting in Brock, then rotating to Scugog and Uxbridge. As the current Whitby mass immunization clinic only offers Moderna, a new clinic site will be introduced in Whitby that will allow individuals 12-plus to access Pfizer. Bookings for this new Whitby location will be available beginning May 27 at 9 p.m. for appointments that will start on June 7. To book appointments visit www.durham.ca/vaccineappointment or call 1-888-444-5113. The location of the new Whitby clinic site will be announced as soon as possible. For updates, please check www.durham.ca/covidvaccines. It is important to note that eligibility for vaccine does not mean that vaccine appointments will be available immediately.

Residents are reminded that once appointment bookings open, the website will experience a significant increase in traffic resulting in considerable wait-times when trying to book appointments. Residents are asked to please be patient as they keep trying to access the site.

Individuals should book only one appointment per person. If you already have an appointment and choose to book for another time or at a different clinic location, please remember to cancel the first appointment to avoid duplication and to ensure appointments are available for everyone.

The province also recently announced that both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be available at participating pharmacies throughout Durham Region. For a listing of area pharmacies participating in this program visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations.

- 30 -

For more information, please contact the Health Department