Health Department to begin rebooking second dose appointments for individuals 80+

Province fast-tracks second dose eligibility for this age group

Whitby, Ontario - Durham Region Health Department will begin rescheduling second dose appointments for individuals 80 and older on May 31 at 8 a.m. Existing scheduled appointments will be moved forward based on vaccine availability starting with dates around June 11. This change follows the provincial announcement on May 28 to accelerate second dose appointments for this eligibility group.

Due to current limited supply of Moderna vaccine and no provincial confirmation of next shipment, the Health Department may be unable to support early second doses for individuals who received Moderna. Please continue to check www.durham.ca/covidvaccines for updates.

To rebook second dose appointments, Durham Region residents must contact the call centre at 1-888-444-5113. Online booking for second dose appointments is currently not available as the online booking system is presently for first dose appointments only. The Health Department is working on updating the online booking system to be able to book both first and second dose appointments. More information will be announced as soon as possible.

It is highly recommended that individuals do not cancel their current second dose appointments until they have contacted the call centre to request a new appointment. Once your new second dose appointment is confirmed, call centre staff will assist with cancelling your original appointment.

It is also important to note that there is no requirement for individuals to cancel their original second dose appointment, especially if their current appointment is coming soon. Although the Health Department is working to accommodate rescheduling second dose appointments, first dose appointments are also being booked at the same time. Due to a limited number of appointment spaces, rebooking to receive an earlier second dose appointment may not be possible.

Individuals who will be rebooking second dose at the Ontario Tech Ice Campus clinic site will receive an email from Lakeridge Health outlining the process for rebooking. Appointment availability is also dependent on vaccine supply.

In addition to the earlier second dose eligibility, the province has also provided an update regarding recommended dose intervals for individuals who are on certain medications. Individuals who are taking anti-CD20 agents (e.g., rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab) are eligible for their second dose as outlined in the manufacturers’ recommendations. These individuals would receive their second dose of Pfizer vaccine 21 days after the first dose, and 28 days following their first dose for Moderna vaccine. For more information and updates on COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Durham Region, visit www.durham.ca/covidvaccines.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department