All Ontario adults will be able to book a COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday.
At 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 18, 2021, individuals aged 18 and over, or turning 18 in 2021, will be eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through the provincial booking system and call centre, or directly through public health units that use their own booking system.
The province said in a news release Monday that the expanded booking is a result of more vaccines coming in. About 2.2 million doses of vaccine are scheduled to arrive this week, with an early delivery the week of May 24.
The province plans to open vaccine bookings to anyone 12 to 17 on May 31. Anyone under 18 when booking will only be able to receive the Pfizer vaccine — currently the only COVID-19 vaccine that has been authorized by Health Canada for use in youth aged 12 and over. The provincial booking system will note which clinics are not offering vaccines for those who are 17 years old.
Individual public health units may also choose to provide vaccines to those aged 12 and over where the Pfizer vaccine is offered as of Tuesday. This includes First Nations, Inuit and Métis clinics that offer the Pfizer vaccine. There will also be dedicated clinic times for youth during the weeks of June 14 and 21, 2021.
Ontario is experiencing very positive trends in vaccine demand, the province said, and achieved a “significant milestone” on May 12, 2021, with first doses having been administered to more than half of all Ontario adults.
The province said it is “on track to reach 65 per cent of adults by the end of the month.”
As of May 15, over seven million doses have been administered provincewide.