More Simcoe County residents can book a second COVID-19 vaccine dose
Starting Monday, Simcoe County residents who received the AstraZeneca vaccine can book their second shot eight weeks after getting their first dose.
Previously the Ontario government had set a 12-week minimum wait for people who received AstraZeneca.
"We need to get people fully immunized if we're going to fight the delta variant," says Dr. Sohail Gandhi, the past president of the Ontario Medical Association who now practices in Stayner. "So this is really huge, and I'm really glad to see it, and frankly, I'm glad to see that we've got the supply of vaccines to do it."
People can also choose if they want a second dose of AstraZeneca or switch to Pfizer or Moderna.
Eligible people can book COVID-19 vaccine appointments through the provincial booking system or local health units.
The team at Pro-Health Pharmacy in Barrie says its phone lines were busy this morning, with many eager to rebook their second dose.
"So currently, we are giving Moderna vaccines," says pharmacist Shamshad Mansuri. "But I just got a fax today that I'll be getting more doses of Astrazeneca as well, so the people who got Astrazeneca they will have an option to choose either-or."
Also, as of Monday morning, second does appointments are being escalated in seven regions in the province where the highly transmissible delta variant is circulating. One of those is York Region, where new pop-up clinics are being planned in order to meet demand.
"The uptake has been phenomenal," says Dr. Karim Kurji, the medical officer of health for York Region.
"We have already vaccinated almost 20 per cent of individuals for their second doses."
This morning there were approximately 18,600 new appointments available in York Region. However, the website had more than 28,000 concurrent users.
Meanwhile, Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston is reducing the hours of its COVID-19 assessment centre from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Ontario recorded another 530 cases of COVID-19 yesterday.
With files from the Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.