Ontario to distribute AstraZeneca vaccine from pharmacies
Toronto, Kingston and Windsor are going to start the initiative in 325 pharmacies.
Residents from the age of 60 to 64 are eligible to book appointments for vaccination as part of Ontario’s pharmacy pilot.
The province will be administering 194,500 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Here is the complete list of pharmacies offering the vaccine this week — List of Pharmacies for Vaccinations
Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends not to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to individuals above 65. Ontarians from the age of 80 and beyond will be getting the Pfizer-Biontech or Moderna vaccine. They will be able to book an appointment for vaccination starting Friday. They can register from Toronto.ca/COVID-19. The immunization will begin in the three mass immunization clinics opening on March 17 -
- Metro Convention Centre
- Scarborough Town Centre
- Toronto Congress Centre
The Ontario portal for vaccine registration will open on March 15. When that happens, the current booking system will move to the regional portal.
The city has 133,000 appointments available until April 11, with second doses excluded.
What do you need to register:
- Ontario Health Card (OHIP)
- Date of Birth
- Postal Code
- Email or Phone Number
According to Ontario open Data, more than 35 thousand doses are given each day. Almost a million doses have been administered, and approximately 300 thousand people have been fully vaccinated. But the province is lingering behind in its long-term care vaccinations because of the winter supply deficit.
Ontario intends to start the second phase of the vaccine rollout in April. Most people in phase one can book an appointment to get vaccinated through their workplace, residence or care provider.
Some Shopper Drug Mart in Ontario has already started vaccination. Rexall, Loblaws and Costco are also participating in the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The Difference
Johnson & Johnson is the latest vaccine to be approved by Health Canada. A single injection is enough to work 72 percent against moderate to severe COVID-19. The J&J vaccine is storable in regular refrigerators.
Health Canada approved Oxford-AstraZeneca on February 26. According to Health Canada, this vaccine works with 62 percent efficacy. Alike J&J, this vaccine also can be stored at fridge temperature.
However, the Moderna vaccine is 94 percent effective after two doses and can be stored at -20° Celsius.
Pfizer-Biontech was the first vaccine to arrive with 95 percent effectiveness with both doses. But this vaccine requires to be stored at -70° Celsius. This trait made it harder to transport to the vaccine.
According to a Scottish study, Pfizer and AstraZeneca reduced hospitalization by nearly 85 and 94 percent after a single dose. That means the first shot gives moderately adequate protection against COVID-19.
Today marks the first anniversary of the pandemic. In a year, 2.5 million people died worldwide. Canada lost 22,335 lives.
Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says the spread of new variants in Canada makes most Canadians susceptible to COVID-19.
“With the continued increase of cases and outbreaks associated with more contagious variants, we must all remain vigilant with public health measures and individual precautions to prevent a rapid shift in the trajectory of the epidemic.” — Dr. Theresa Tam.
The vaccine rollout means good news for 81 years old Reshad Chowdhury. He has been living in Toronto for the last 35 years.
Reshad is diabetic and has other medical complications. His son Soleiman says his father has been waiting anxiously for the COVID-19 vaccine. He also added they even thought of taking him to Bangladesh to get vaccinated.
Over 100,000 Bangladeshi are living and contributing to Canada. Ten percent of whom are seniors.
