Health Department expands vaccine eligibility to residents 45-plus in hot spot areas

Licensed child care workers across Durham Region are now also eligible

Whitby, Ontario - As announced by the province earlier today, Durham Region Health Department has now expanded eligibility for area hot spot postal code residents to those 45 and older, or those who will be turning 45 in 2021 to receive COVID-19 vaccine at designated community mass immunization clinics. In addition, child care workers in licensed child care settings across Durham Region are eligible to book their COVID-19 vaccination appointments – child care workers will require a letter from their employer confirming eligibility. Appointments for these new eligibility groups are now available for booking at www.durham.ca/vaccineappointment or by calling 1-888-444-5113.

Ajax and Pickering residents 18 to 45-years old living in the L1S, L1T, L1V, L1X and L1Z hot spot postal codes are eligible to receive vaccine at the fixed Ajax Community Centre hot spot pop-up clinic; however, appointments at this clinic are fully booked until at least May 16. Residents from these hot spot postal code areas are also able to book appointments at one of the rotating hot spot pop-up clinics that will be available in the Ajax and Pickering hot spot areas. These rotating pop-up clinics will serve residents who live in hot spot postal code areas where each clinic will be located. A list of rotating pop-up clinics is available at www.durham.ca/covidvaccines. Rotating pop-up clinics will operate on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday each week until May 28. Appointments are required. Individuals from each identified hot spot must show proof of age and address when arriving at these clinics. Appointments for rotating hot spot pop-up clinics can be booked at www.durham.ca/vaccineappointment or by calling 1-888-444-5113.

In addition, residents in hot spot areas will also be able to attend mobile clinics that will be available in these hot spot postal code areas. The location of mobile clinics will be posted at www.durham.ca/covidvaccines shortly before each clinic is scheduled in a specific community. No appointments are required for the mobile hot spot clinics; these clinics operate as first come, first served. Individuals from the identified hot spots must show proof of age and address when arriving at all mobile clinics.

As the Health Department continues to expand clinic access for Durham Region residents, community mass immunization clinics continue to operate in all municipalities across the Region. Residents 45 years and older, or who will be turning 45 in 2021 who live in any of the hot spot areas, can also book an appointment at the following Durham Region community mass immunization clinics: Ajax (Audley Recreation Centre), Pickering (Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex Arena) and Whitby (McKinney Centre). Individuals from the identified hot spots must show proof of age and address when arriving at community mass immunization clinics.

Individuals 18 to 45-years old who live in a hot spot area must book at a rotating hot spot pop-up clinic or attend a hot spot mobile clinic. Information on clinic locations and additional eligibility requirements is available at www.durham.ca/covidvaccines. Residents are asked to book only one appointment per person. Also, 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, helping to ensure appointments are available for everyone.

Area residents 40 and older, or who will be turning 40 in 2021, are able to book appointments through participating pharmacies to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. For information on participating Durham Region pharmacies see https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations. The AstraZeneca vaccine pharmacy program is overseen by the province.

Appointments for the Health Department’s mass immunization clinics and all hot spot pop-up clinics, as well as the provision of hot spot mobile clinics, are based on vaccine availability which is the responsibility of the province working in partnership with the federal government. Once vaccines spots have been fully booked, appointments are no longer available. As additional vaccine is confirmed, more spots will be added.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department