The Regional Municipality of York is continuing to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to eligible individuals as quickly as possible.
On Friday, June 25, 2021 at 8 a.m., approximately 38,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments will be available to individuals age 12+ who live, work or go to school in York Region looking to book a first dose OR individuals 18+ who have received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine on or before May 30, 2021 and wish to book an earlier second dose.
New appointments can be booked online or by phone by visiting york.ca/COVID19Vaccine
Eligible residents who received their first dose on or before May 30, 2021 who do not yet have a second dose appointment can also book an online appointment.
Previously booked second dose appointments will be honoured and will not be cancelled unless a new and earlier appointment is confirmed.
It remains critically important for all those who have not received a first dose to get one.
York Region works to align with the provincial approach, however, the short delay is due to York Region’s transition to a new booking platform this week. All appointments previously booked at a public health-led clinic, including existing second dose appointments, will be migrated to the new booking system. As a result, residents can expect a new and improved customer experience when logging on to book an accelerated second dose appointment. The new system also provides users with the ability to reschedule a second dose appointment rather than booking a new appointment. Residents do not need to log in to the new booking system or to create a username or password in advance.
Current mRNA vaccine supply
York Region’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic operations and appointment bookings run on timely delivery of vaccine supply. The province-wide delay in Pfizer-BioNTech shipment is not expected to affect vaccine distribution in York Region at this time, however contingency plans are in place should our Pfizer supply run low or out. These plans include reallocating Pfizer where needed and administering Moderna to individuals 18 years or older who have an appointment booked for their first dose.
Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines are over 90% effective at preventing serious illness and death due to COVID-19. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) considers these mRNA vaccines to be interchangeable, if the same product is not readily available. The Ministry of Health encourages all people living in Ontario to get their second dose as soon as possible with the recent increased circulation of the Delta variant throughout the province.
If the vaccine you received for your first dose is not available at your second dose appointment, it is recommended you receive the mRNA that is available rather than delaying your second dose.
Second doses for youth ages 12 to 17
The Ministry of Health is currently recommending maintaining the timing of the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for this group to between eight and 16 weeks. Based on the product monograph, some York Region residents (aged 12 to 17) may be eligible for their second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech beginning Friday, June 25, 2021, particularly for youth at higher risk due to health conditions or for young adults who are unable to work from home. The priority continues to be administering first doses – for youth and for the remaining adults who have yet to be vaccinated.
Second doses for AstraZeneca
Individuals who received AstraZeneca as their first dose can choose to receive a second dose of AstraZeneca or an mRNA vaccine as early as eight weeks after their first dose, with informed consent. The mRNA vaccine provided at clinics will depend on the current supply of vaccine. With the possibility of delayed delivery of Pfizer, many clinics will be offering Moderna vaccines as second doses.
York Region Public Health is working with our local health care partners to provide COVID-19 vaccines at various locations across York Region. Clinic dates and times vary for each location. Please visit york.ca/COVID19Vaccine for specific clinic details.
Appointment availability is currently limited. New appointments will be released as they become available; we encourage individuals to check back regularly. Please do not visit a vaccination clinic without an appointment, unless otherwise specified.
Given the expected high volume of web activity and telephone support, wait times may be longer than usual and service disruptions on york.ca may occur. Please continue to be patient.
To ensure all appointments are available to those who are eligible, we encourage residents to book only one appointment per person.
The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to 1.2 million residents and 54,000 businesses with 650,000 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/regionalservices.