Ontarians aged 60 to 64 to receive newly approved AstraZeneca vaccine
Posted March 3, 2021 3:59 pm.
Ontario plans to administer the newly approved Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to residents aged 60 to 64, though the province said Wednesday it does not know how many doses it will receive.
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said the targeted use of the vaccine will help cut illness and death across Ontario.
“We know that from age 60 and up there are, unfortunately, more hospitalizations when someone gets COVID,” she said. “By focusing in on those parts of our population that are more vulnerable, what we ended up actually doing is tamping down and curbing transmission.”
Jones said the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot will not be administered through mass immunization clinics but through a “different pathway,” although she did not elaborate on what that would be.
Ontario said Tuesday it planned to follow the advice of a national panel that’s recommended against using the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot on people aged 65 and older.
“I want to assure you that we have the plans and pathways in place,” she said. “Now, we just need the supply.”
She also said the government has signed an agreement with the province’s pharmacists’ association to have COVID-19 shots administered in pharmacies in the coming months.
RELATED: First shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine arrives amid confusion over its use for seniors
Ontario has so far focused on vaccinating the highest-priority groups, including long-term care residents and certain health-care workers.
The province has said it aims to start vaccinating residents aged 80 and older starting the third week of March, though the timeline is subject to change.
Some public health units, however, have moved ahead with vaccinations for the general population, starting with people aged 80 and older.
Those units are taking bookings for immunizations through their own web or phone systems as a provincial portal remains under development.
During question period Premier Doug Ford was asked if at-risk neighbourhoods would be prioritized when it comes to the vaccine. Ford said local public health units have the flexibility to micro target the neighbourhoods most at risk, suggesting that will not be part of the provincial guidelines.
Ford also said Ontario is ahead of the pack when it comes to vaccinations. Ontario has administered a total of 754,419 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine so far, however per capita, the province is 7th out of 10 provinces in terms of vaccinations.
Provincial Liberals say it doesn’t feel like “there’s a sense of urgency” when it comes to the vaccine rollout plan. “It feels more like a stroll out than a rollout,” said Liberal MPP John Fraser.
Files from 680 NEWS were used in this report
