Full list of pharmacies administering AstraZeneca shot starting Friday
Posted March 10, 2021 6:02 am.
Last Updated March 10, 2021 6:59 pm.
Ontario has released the locations of over 325 pharmacies that will be administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine starting on Friday.
The locations are all in Toronto, Kingston and Windsor for the pilot project, but will be expanded once the supply ramps up.
Residents aged 60 to 64 as of the day of vaccination or if you will be or have been 60 to 64 in 2021, with the birth years 1957 to 1961, will be eligible to book an appointment with one of the pharmacies.
Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, Rexall and Costco are among those who will be administering the vaccine along with some independent pharmacies.
A portion of the AstraZeneca doses are also going to primary care physicians who will administer them to their patients in the regions of Hamilton, Toronto, Guelph, Peterborough, Simcoe-Muskoka, and Peel, starting on March 13.
Physicians won’t be taking appointments and will only be contacting their patients who are eligible.
President of the Ontario Medical Association Dr. Samantha Hill said Ontario’s doctors are pleased the government has recognized the value they bring and added they “look forward to working with [the government] to make the rollout as efficient as possible.”
FINAL List of Pharmacies by CityNewsToronto on Scribd
Rexall Pharmacies has already released the list of their 39 locations that will be administering the COVID-19 vaccine, including 31 in the GTA. Those eligible for the AstraZeneca are now able to join a waitlist.
Rexall says being on the waitlist doesn’t necessarily mean you will be booked for an appointment as they will be limited based on supply.
Costco Pharmacy has also released the six locations where you can now book a vaccine appointment or join the waitlist.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says that none of the 194,000 shots, set to expire on April 2, will go to waste.
The vaccine from AstraZeneca is the third approved in the county and was authorized for use on all adults, including seniors, but the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is concerned there is limited data on how well the vaccine will work in older populations.
The NACI is not recommending the shot for anyone over the age of 65.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says half-a-million doses of the AstraZeneca shot arrived in Canada last week and are being distributed to provinces.
On Monday, Mayor John Tory announced Toronto has enough vaccine supply to open three mass immunization clinics starting March 17.
The Toronto clinics will operate seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and details on clinic operations, including how to book, will be available in the coming days.
Some Ontario public health units will continue to use their own vaccination booking systems even after a provincial portal becomes available next week.
Solicitor General Sylvia Jones says approximately six units, including Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, will stick with their own systems.
She says the rest will merge with the province’s online portal or use a combination of both systems.
With files from the Canadian Press