How and where to get your COVID-19 vaccine in Waterloo region, Wellington and Guelph area

As vaccination efforts ramp up in Waterloo region, Guelph, Wellington County and Dufferin County, here is what you need to know to get your COVID-19 vaccine.

Ontario has launched its centralized COVID-19 vaccine booking system, but Region of Waterloo Public Health and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDG) say vaccine registration will be kept local. As of May 11, anyone over the age of 12 can pre-register for the vaccine through their local public health department.

Health Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use on adolescents on May 5. Previously the age cutoff had been 16. 

Region of Waterloo Public Health says all youth between the ages of 12 and 17 will get the Pfizer vaccine at their inoculations. No other vaccines have been approved for youth under the age of 18.

The importance and hurdles of getting COVID-19 vaccines for kids

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Providing COVID-19 vaccines to children will be an important step in reaching herd immunity, experts say. But it’s unclear when children will be eligible and some parents aren’t sure if they want their kids to get the shot.

Additionally, pharmacies in Waterloo region and Guelph areas are offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people 40 and older. The province announced more than 700 pharmacies are taking part, which include many in Waterloo region and in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph.

People can search for local pharmacies offering the vaccine through the province's website, but appointments are made directly with pharmacies.

Waterloo region

Waterloo region public health expanded pre-registration for the vaccine on May 11 to include anyone over the age of 12. Previously, eligibility had opened for people 18 years of age and older who live in these high-priority neighbourhoods:

• Vanier/Rockway in Kitchener.
• Country Hills in Kitchener.
• Alpine/Laurentian in Kitchener.
• Victoria Hills/Cherry Hill in Kitchener.
• Shades Mills in Cambridge.
• Columbia/Lakeshore in Waterloo.

Teens 16 to 17 years of age living in congregate care or developmental service settings or with highest, high and at-risk health conditions continue to be able to book at any clinic offering the Pfizer vaccine. They include:

• Cambridge Pinebush — Cambridge.
• First Nations, Métis and Inuit clinics located at Anishnabeg Outreach in Kitchener or Region of Waterloo. Headquarters — Kitchener.
• Health Sciences Campus — Kitchener.
• The Boardwalk — Waterloo.

People of any age with other high-risk health complications continue to be eligible to pre-register for the vaccine. It includes people who:

• Have received organ transplants.
• Have received hematopoietic stem-cell transplants.
• Have neurological diseases that affect respiratory function (including multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, and myasthenia gravis).
• Kidney disease, with an eGFR of less than 30.
• Have cancer of the blood, lymph nodes or bone marrow (haematological malignancy) diagnosed less than a year ago.
• Take immuno-suppressives (including chemotherapy and other medications that weaken the immune system). 
• Are obese (with a BMI greater than 40).
• Have intellectual or developmental disabilities (including Down syndrome).
• Faith leaders who are in close contact with persons and families for end-of-life care, care for deceased, funerals, home visits to unwell people or pastoral care in hospitals.

People with high-risk health conditions continue to be eligible. Those conditions include:

• Immune deficiencies or autoimmune disorders.
• Stroke or cerebrovascular disease.
• Dementia.
• Diabetes.
• Liver disease.
• All other cancers.
• Respiratory diseases.
• Spleen problems (e.g., asplenia).
• Heart disease.
• Hypertension with end organ damage.
• Diagnosis of mental disorder.
• Substance use disorder.
• Sickle cell disease.
• Thalassemia.
• Immunocompromising health conditions.
• Other disabilities requiring direct support care in the community.

As well, people in the following groups can pre-register:

• Supportive housing.
• Developmental services, including supported independent living.
• Emergency homeless shelters.
• Other homeless populations not in shelters.
• Mental health and addictions congregate settings, including supportive housing.
• Homes for special care.
• Employer-provided housing for farm workers, including temporary foreign workers.
• Adult correctional facilities.
• Violence against women shelters.
• Anti-human trafficking residences.
• Children's residential facilities, including group homes and foster homes.
• Indigenous healing and wellness.
• Youth justice facilities.
• Bail beds.

As well, one essential caregiver for residents in the following high-risk congregate settings can also pre-register for the vaccine:

• Developmental services, including supported independent living.
• Mental health and addictions congregate settings, including supportive housing.
• Homes for special care.
• Children's residential facilities, including group homes and foster homes.
• Indigenous healing and wellness.

Essential workers in select sectors continue to be eligible. They include: 

• Elementary and secondary school workers (including educators, custodial, school bus drivers, administrative staff).
• Workers responding to critical events (including police, fire, special constables, children's aid society workers, emergency management, critical infrastructure restoration workers).
• Enforcement, inspection and compliance roles (including by-law enforcement, building inspectors, food inspectors, animal welfare inspectors, border inspection officers, labour inspectors, WSIB field workers).
• Individuals working in childcare (including all licensees, employees and students on educational placements who interact directly with children in licensed childcare centres and in authorized recreation and skill building programs, licensed home child care and in-home service providers, employees of home child care agencies and students on education placement).
• Foster care agency workers (including customary care providers).
• Food manufacturing and distribution workers.
• Agriculture and farm workers.
• Funeral, crematorium and cemetery workers.
• Essential and critical retail workers, including grocery, foodbank and non-clinical pharmacy workers, ServiceOntario workers, ServiceCanada and Passport Canada workers, wholesalers and general goods, restaurant and LCBO workers.
• Workers in manufacturing industries directly involved in supporting the COVID-19 response, construction including infrastructure, and other essential businesses and services where facilities are at heightened risk for COVID-19 outbreaks and spread.
• Social workers and other social services staff providing in-person client services, including youth justice workers, OntarioWorks and Ontario Disability Support Program case workers.
• Courts and justice system workers, including probation and parole workers.
• Transportation, warehousing and distribution workers, including public transit workers, truck drivers supporting essential services, marine and rail cargo and maintenance, and highway maintenance.
• Electricity, including workers employed in systems operations, generation, transmission, distribution and storage.
• Communications infrastructure workers, including cellular, satellite, landline, internet and public safety radio.
• Water and wastewater management workers.
• Financial services workers (bank branch staff).
• Veterinarians and veterinary teams.
• Waste management workers.
• Oil and petroleum workers, including those working in petroleum refineries; those involved in the storage, transmission and distribution of crude oil and petroleum products; and those needed for the retail sale of fuel.
• Natural gas and propane gas workers, including those working in the compression, storage, transmission and distribution of natural gas and propane.
• Mine workers, including those needed to ensure the continued operation of active mines.
• Uranium processing workers (those working in the refining and conversion of uranium, and fabrication of fuel for nuclear power plants.

On April 10, the region warned that some Telus users who pre-registered for the vaccine and chose to receive a text message should pre-register again as they may not have received their notification due to Telus blocking the messages.

"Any Telus users who pre-registered for the vaccine and haven't received notification to book an appointment are asked to pre-register again," the region said in a news release. 

How to pre-register in Waterloo region

To pre-register for the vaccine in Waterloo region:

• On the Region of Waterloo website: COVID-19 pre-registration form.
• Through the Service First Call Centre: 519-575-4400.

Vaccine clinics open for priority groups in Waterloo region include:

• Grand River Hospital Vaccination Clinic — 40 Green St., Kitchener.
• Health Sciences Campus Vaccination Clinic — 10 Victoria St. S., Kitchener.
• Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre — 44 Francis St. S., Kitchener. (This clinic is for people experiencing homelessness as well as people who attend or work at emergency shelters or street outreach).
• Cambridge Pinebush Vaccination Clinic — 66 Pinebush Rd., Cambridge.
• Langs Community Health Centre Vaccination Clinic — 1145 Concession Rd., Cambridge.
• The Boardwalk Vaccination Clinic — 435 The Boardwalk, Medical Centre 2, Suite 106 in Waterloo.
• Wellesley Vaccination Clinic — 3710 Nafziger Dr., Unit A, in Wellesley.

There are also several pop-up clinics for Indigenous residents located at Anishnabeg Outreach, The Healing of the Seven Generations and K-W Urban Wigwam Project.

Vaccinations are by appointment only and no walk-ins will be accepted, said Region of Waterloo Public Health.

To cancel your appointment:

• If the appointment was booked by phone, people can call 519-575-4400.
• If the appointment was booked online, hit the "cancel" option in the confirmation email or text you received.
• If the appointment was booked at a First Nations, Metis and Inuit clinic, you can call 519-575-4400 to cancel your appointment.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph

WDG Public Health has also opened vaccine pre-registration to all residents over the age of 12.

Anyone who was part of Phase 1 or earlier Phase 2 groups can also still pre-register.

To pre-register for a vaccine Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph:

• Through the WDG Public Health website.
• By calling 1-844-780-0202, although public health does not recommend this unless absolutely necessary due to high call volumes.
• Call a Guelph or Wellington County library branch where staff will help.

WDG Public Health said vaccinations are by appointment only and no walk-ins will be accepted.

Guelph:

• Linamar/Skyjack — 201 Woodlawn Rd. W.
• University of Guelph, University Centre — 50 South Ring Rd.
• West End Community Centre — 21 Imperial Rd. S.

The vaccine clinic at the WDG Public Health main office on 160 Chancellors Way moved to the West End Community Centre located at 21 Imperial Rd.,S. on March 16, according to a release from the City of Guelph.

Fergus, Arthur, Mount Forest:

• Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex — 550 Belsyde Ave E., Fergus.
• Arthur Arena — 158 Domville St., Arthur.
• Mount Forest & District Sports Complex — 850 Princess St., Mount Forest.

Orangeville, Shelburne:

• Alder Recreation Centre — 275 Alder St., Orangeville.
• Mel Lloyd Centre, Entrance F — 167 Centre St, Shelburne.

Drayton, Palmerston:

• Drayton Arena — 68 Main St W., Drayton.
• Palmerston and District Community Centre — 500 Cavan St., Palmerston.

People between the ages of 60 and 64 may also be eligible to receive the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 from their family physician, public health said on March 16.

The local health unit noted people do not need to contact their doctor, but rather participating physicians will contact eligible patients to book a vaccine.

• Mount Forest Family Health Team. 
• Upper Grand Family Health Team.