COVID-19 Vaccine Booking Expanding to Youth 12+ Ahead of Schedule

Pete Fisher
3 years ago
• Categories: Provincial

Schedule Youth Appointments Through the Provincial Booking System, Call Centre and Select Pharmacies

Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to expand, with youth aged 12 and over eligible to book their appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine beginning this weekend.

As of 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 23, 2021, youth aged 12 and over across Ontario will be eligible to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through the provincial booking system and call centre, as well as at select pharmacies administering the Pfizer vaccine. To book an appointment online, these individuals must already be 12 years old as of the date of their booking.

Individuals who are not 12 years old on Sunday, May 23, 2021 can book an appointment for a later date through the provincial call centre or directly through public health units that use their own booking system. The Pfizer vaccine is currently the only COVID-19 vaccine that has been authorized by Health Canada for use in individuals aged 12 and over. In addition, the province is encouraging eligible family members who have not received a vaccine to attend these clinics to get youth and their families vaccinated as quickly as possible.

The changes are at the request of some public health units to remove barriers for families requesting vaccines. Public health units may have different vaccine administration rates based on local context, and the province and public health units will continue to make appointments available as vaccine supply is confirmed.

On May 18, 2021, select public health units began providing vaccines to those aged 12 and over in pop-up and mobile clinics, as well as for walk-in appointments where the Pfizer vaccine is offered. This has included First Nations, Inuit and Métis clinics that offer the Pfizer vaccine. Clinic times for youth are also planned for the weeks of June 14 and 21, 2021.

Across the province, the government is continuing to expand access to the vaccine through a variety of channels. As of Friday, May 21, 2021, an additional 600 pharmacies across the province will begin offering the Pfizer vaccine to individuals turning 18 in 2021. In addition, beginning Sunday, May 23, 2021, individuals aged 12 and over at the time of vaccination will also be eligible to book an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at pharmacies that offer Pfizer. By the end of May, over 2,400 pharmacies will be offering Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, providing convenient access across the province.

Offering the protection of the vaccine to youth aged 12 and over is a significant milestone in Ontario’s fight against COVID-19. The province is on track to have administered a first dose of COVID-19 vaccines to ten million Ontarians by the end of June and 65 per cent of Ontarians aged 18 and over before the end of May. The province expects to reach all youth aged 12 and over with a first dose before the end of June and with a second dose by the end of August 2021.

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Quick Facts

As of May 20, 2021, at 8:00 p.m., over 7.7 million vaccine doses have been administered across the province, with more than 93 per cent of Ontario residents aged 80 and over and more than 89 per cent of residents aged 70 to 79 having received at least one dose. More than 59 per cent of the population aged 18 and over have received at least one dose and more than 495,000 Ontarians are fully immunized, including 96 per cent of long-term care residents.

In May, Ontario expects to receive approximately 4.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine allocations for July have not been provided at this time.

On May 20 the government released its Roadmap to Reopen, outlining three steps to easing public health measures, including provincial vaccination targets. Based on current trends in key health indicators, including the provincial vaccination rate, the government expects to enter Step One of the Roadmap the week of June 14, 2021.

Eligible groups can use Ontario’s vaccine booking system to find out how to schedule an appointment, or can call the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line number at 1-833-943-3900.For general inquiries, individuals can call the Provincial Vaccine Information Line number at 1-888-999-6488 or TTY service is also available by calling 1-866-797-0007. The provincial booking system notes which clinics are not offering vaccines for those who are aged 12 to 17 years old.

Visit ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-youth for more information on COVID-19 vaccines for youth between 12 and 17 years of age.

Visit ontario.ca/pharmacycovidvaccine to find a pharmacy offering a COVID-19 vaccine and to book an appointment.

By May 25, 2021, individuals will be able to log-in to the provincial portal through Ontario.ca to obtain a PDF copy of their COVID-19 Vaccination receipt for both their first and second dose.

Ontarians who are now eligible to book their vaccine appointment are asked to be patient, as it could take time to receive their vaccine appointment.

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Additional Resources

COVID-19 Vaccine Booking Expanding to Ontarians 18+ Ahead of Schedule

Over 50 per cent of Ontario Adults Receive First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine

Ontario Continues to Expand Booking Eligibility for COVID-19 Vaccines to More Ontarians

Ontario Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Booking for More People

Ontario Prepares to Accelerate Rollout as Vaccine Supply Increases

For up-to-date information on the populations currently eligible for vaccination and instructions on how to book an appointment when you are eligible, visit Ontario’s vaccine webpage.

For resources in multiple languages to help local communication efforts in responding to COVID-19, visit Ontario’s COVID-19 communication resources webpage.

Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the province continues to protect the people of Ontario from COVID-19.