The government of Ontario has finally made the much-anticipated announcement that it will soon begin administering second doses of COVID-19 vaccines, promising residents a two-dose summer that will gloriously coincide with the gradual reopening of the province.
According to Premier Doug Ford, our vaccination program is running far ahead of schedule, with 65 per cent of adults now having received a jab — meaning that select groups can soon start getting their second.
Beginning May 31, the same vulnerable groups that the rollout first started with — those 80 and older — will be able to book an appointment for their next shot through the central booking portal of the province or their local public health unit.
The hope is that as clinics gradually move down through the age ranges and priority groups, all residents 18 and over will be able to access their final innoculation before autumn.
NEW: Ontario is speeding up second dose eligibility starting next week for 80+ and June 14 for 70+. People must re-book their own appointments, and no guarantee they’ll get an earlier spot. Province expects majority of residents will be fully vaccinated by end of summer. #onpoli pic.twitter.com/XoXP8GHCyv
— Laura Stone (@l_stone) May 28, 2021
"Based on what we know about upcoming shipments, everyone in Ontario who wants a vaccine could be fully vaccinated by the end of August" Ford said during a press conference on Friday morning.
But, he added that this will of course be contingent upon vaccine supply.
The order for second immunizations will go much like the first, starting with, as mentioned, individuals 80 and over, followed by those 70 and over during the week of June 14.
After that, the rollout will be based on the time that patients received their first shot based on factors such as age, health condition, Indigenous status and position as an essential health worker.
Residents with existing appointments will be able to rebook them for an earlier date as their priority group becomes eligible.
Many Ontarians were originally given a second dose appointment that was months after their first due to limited supply in the province, despite the fact that Pfizer and Moderna reccomend immunizations be 21 or 28 days apart, respectively.
Second AstraZeneca shots, meanwhile, were expedited just last week due to expiring supply.
Some studies have quite interestingly found that a longer interval between doses can actually boost one's immune response.
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