39-year-olds in Ontario can get AstraZeneca vaccine now if they turn 40 this year
Vaccinations began at select pharmacies across the province on Tuesday
If you're 39-year-old turning 40 this year, you won't have to wait until your birthday to receive the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine.
The Ontario government lowered the age of eligibility for that vaccine for those "40 years old or older in 2021," according to the government website. Inoculations began at select pharmacies across the province on Tuesday.
Kitchener resident Dennis Smith, who turns 40 on Dec. 3, took time on Monday to book an appointment at a big-box pharmacy in Waterloo on Tuesday only to have it cancelled two hours before he was set to go in because he was told he didn't meet the age requirement. The pharmacy later apologized for the cancellation and rebooked him.
Smith said his cancelled appointment was possibly the result of a miscommunication between the ministry and pharmacies and hopes there will be better communication of information moving forward.
"The thing that makes it especially irritating is this is, I believe, the third time that they've had different age-range-based cut off for vaccinations, so they should have by now had standardized wording where they would be substituting a date or year and no one should be confused by this by this point," he said.
Notice sent to pharmacies
The Ministry of Health said a notice was sent out to pharmacies on Monday with updated information about patient and pharmacy eligibility.
In it, it said that "the patients eligible for publicly funded pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination administration are those aged 40 years and older at the time of vaccination or any time in 2021."
This looks to be the specific Costco I booked at; another nearby one said they would have given me the shot and to sig up for their store's waiting list <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19Vaccine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19Vaccine</a> <a href="https://t.co/ERf9Evyl6Y">https://t.co/ERf9Evyl6Y</a>
—@CapeMonkeyMeanwhile, the region's medical officer of health, who received her AstraZeneca vaccine on Tuesday, is encouraging those eligible to get vaccinated.
"If you're 40 or older, I strongly encourage you to book an appointment to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. While we are in the midst of a very serious third wave with profound impacts on our community and our health care system at risk, we are fortunate to have a good supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine at the moment and the opportunity to vaccinate even more residents who are now eligible to get it," she Dr. Hsui-Li Wang in an email.
A list of participating pharmacies can be found here.