Simcoe Muskoka residents who got AstraZeneca shot can switch to mRNA vaccine for 2nd dose
Simcoe Muskoka residents who had their first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot have three choices for their second dose starting Friday and more options for getting their vaccine.
Under the province's new guidance released Thursday, residents who had AstraZeneca for their first dose have the option to get a dose of Pfizer or Moderna for the second after a 12-week interval.
Local physicians and select pharmacies can now administer both vaccines.
Ontario's top doctor said it's crucial people who got their first AstraZeneca vaccine get a second dose of one of the shots.
Residents wishing to book an appointment for their second shot can do so through the provincial online portal.
The Simcoe Muskoka health unit is focused on vaccinating children 12 to 17. To date, roughly 20 per cent of those under 18 have had their first shot.
"We have missed some opportunities to vaccinate quickly and more readily," said Dr. Barry Nathanson, chief of staff at Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston.
Nathanson said the best way out of the pandemic is to ensure all residents are protected by the vaccine.
"This is our generational battle," Nathanson said. "No one slept - no one took a weekend off from the battles prevailing against us [during] the global threat of World War II."
The Alliston doctor is calling on the government and policymakers to open more 24/7 vaccination clinics.
Meanwhile, the province is looking into the potential of letting more people book appointments for their second shot ahead of schedule.
Currently, Simcoe Muskoka residents 80 and older are eligible to get their second dose.
Ontario hadn't planned to open bookings for second shots to all individuals until the week of August 9.
"We're looking at all options because we need to stay ahead of this (Delta) variant so that we can then move into stage one and get life back more to normal for people as quickly as we can," said Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott Thursday.
The health minister added that if the province did accelerate the eligibility, it would be done across the board and not regionally.
The Simcoe Muskoka health unit reports 54.8 per cent of residents have received their first vaccine, while only 6.7 per cent are fully vaccinated.
With files from CTV's Mike Arsalides
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.