Vaccination appointments extended to those 70 and over in KFL&A

The Ontario government is extending booking for COVID-19 vaccination appointments to individuals aged 70 and over through its online booking system and call centre in 11 public health units on March 29, 2021, including the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL&A) area.

The expansion takes effect as of 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 29, 2021. The province had previously expanded vaccine appointments through its online portal to those aged 75 and over on March 19, 2021.

As part of a pilot program, select pharmacies and primary care settings in Kingston are also booking appointments to vaccinate those aged 60 and over, where vaccine supplies are available.

In addition to KFL&A, individuals aged 70 and over in the following public health units will also be eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at a mass immunization clinic through the provincial online booking system or call centre:

• City of Hamilton Public Health Services;
• Grey Bruce Health Unit;
• Lambton Public Health;
• Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit;
• Niagara Region Public Health;
• Ottawa Public Health;
• Peel Public Health;
• Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit;
• Timiskaming Health Unit; and
• York Region Public Health.

“Thanks to the careful planning of everyone involved in the vaccine rollout, we are able to extend vaccination appointments to more Ontarians ahead of schedule,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “But until Ontario receives enough vaccines so that the majority of Ontarians can be vaccinated, it remains critical for everyone to continue following public health measures, so that we can control the spread. Please, continue to wear a face covering, practise physical distancing and wash your hands to hel p keep our communities and loved ones safe.”

The Ontario government says that as of Saturday, Mar. 27, 2021, over three-quarters of Ontario residents aged 80 and over have received at least one dose. Over a third of residents aged 75 to 79 have now received their first shot.

The Province says that as vaccine supply is delivered across the province and additional public health units begin vaccinating individuals aged 70 and over, vaccine administration rates may differ based on local context. Rollout and timing has been further impacted by a delay in shipment of the Moderna vaccine, according to the Province, which was initially planned for March 30 but now delayed until April 7.

“As Ontario’s immunization program continues to expand, communities across the province are gaining greater levels of protection that will save lives,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “We will continue to extend this rollout to other regions as more vaccines become available, and we ask that everyone remains vigilant and continues to follow public health measures.”

According to the Province, to date Ontario has received 1,454,310 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, 323,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine and 194,500 doses of the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine. In April 2021, the province says it expects to receive 1,584,180 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 751,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine. The province says that exact allocations and delivery timing for the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, as well as delivery timing for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine after March are pending confirmation from the federal government and are not known at this time.

Locally, as of Sunday, Mar. 28, 2021, 37,683 individuals residing in KFL&A have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, and 2,497 have received their second dose. Approximately 20.8 per cent of the KFL&A population have received the first dose, and about 1.4 per cent of the KFL&A population have received both doses so far. A total of 47,297 first doses and 2,637 second doses have been administered in the region, with about 21 per cent of those being administered to those residing outside of the region. Approximately 2,000 doses are being administered daily in the KFL&A region.

Eligible individuals can schedule a vaccine appointment by visiting Ontario.ca/bookvaccine, or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Information Line number at 1-888-999-6488. The Provincial Vaccine Information Line is open Monday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and can provide assistance in 300 languages.