Who will be able to get vaccinated first in Ontario
Since there will be limited supply in the first few months of the vaccine program in Ontario, only certain groups will be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine in the early phases.
The province says that the early doses of the vaccine will be available for:
- residents, staff, essential caregivers (including family caregivers) and other employees who work in congregate living settings providing care for seniors as they are at higher risk of infection and serious illness from COVID-19covid 19
- health care workers, including hospital employees, other staff who work or study in hospitals and other health care personnel
- adults in First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations where infection can have disproportionate consequences, including those living in remote or isolated areas where risk of transmission is high
- adult recipients of chronic home health care
The province says as further information becomes available from clinical trials and from Health Canada approvals, the groups for which the vaccines are authorized for use could change.
Ontario will also prioritize regions with the highest rates of COVID-19 infection – those in the Red – Control and Grey – Lockdown zones when we receive the vaccines.
These priorities are based on advice from the:
December 2020 to early January 2021
Based on per capita allocations, Ontario is receiving approximately:
- 90,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
- 50,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine
These doses are being delivered to up to 17 hospital sites (in addition to the University Health Network and the Ottawa Hospital).
Who can be vaccinated
Vaccines are available to health care workers and essential caregivers who work in:
- hospitals
- long-term care homes
- retirement homes
- other congregate settings caring for seniors
COVID-19 vaccine Clinic locations in Ontario
The clinic locations include:
- Grand River Hospital
- Halton Healthcare
- Hamilton Health Sciences
- Humber River Hospital
- Lakeridge Health
- London Health Sciences Centre
- Mackenzie Health
- Michael Garron Hospital
- Ottawa Hospital
- Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
- Scarborough Health Network
- Southlake Regional Health Centre
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (selected to test the travel logistics in Northern Ontario and support the administration of the vaccine to Indigenous and remote communities)
- Trillium Health Partners
- University Health Network in Toronto
- Unity Health Toronto
- William Osler Health System
- Windsor Regional Hospital
These vaccination clinics are not open to the public.
Additional hospital sites and Public Health Units will begin providing vaccines in regions with the highest rates of COVID-19 infection.
Following the first phase of vaccinations and once more doses become available this winter, Phase 2 will begin in Ontario.
Phase 2
During phase two, pending consultation, vaccinations will be expanded to:
- all members of the groups in phase 1
- additional congregate care settings (for example, shelters)
- adults over 70 in expanded regions
The task force will use the ethical framework and the best available data to identify other priority populations within this phase, based on available vaccine supply.
Phase 3
Ontario will enter phase three when vaccines are available for everyone who wants to be immunized. The ethical framework, data and available vaccine supply will help to prioritize groups in this phase.
Vaccines will not be mandatory, but you are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.
The federal government has advance agreements with several manufacturers to purchase COVID-19covid 19 vaccines once the scientific studies are completed and the vaccines are approved for use in Canada.
Ontario is ready to receive and distribute more COVID-19covid 19 vaccines as soon as they are available.
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