COVID-19 Update for May 5 2021 – Vaccine Expansion: Kids, Pharmacies and Mobile Clinics

Health Canada expands use of Pfizer, Ontario expands vaccine locations.

Ontario expands vaccine access points

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott announced that starting later this week more than 60 pharmacies across the province will start providing the Moderna vaccine to adults over the age of 18. This rollout will begin Friday of this week and will add additional pharmacy locations across targeted public health units.

Pharmacies that are already administering Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines will continue to do so; in order to ensure a smooth roll out, pharmacies will only be able to administer one type of vaccine.

Solicitor General Sylvia Jones also highlighted that employer-led mobile vaccination clinics will be launched for small- to medium-sized businesses in hotspot communities. The first five of these mobile units will be available starting May 7th and will target businesses in Toronto, York and Peel.

You can read more here.

Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine eligibility expanded.

Dr. Supriya Sharma, Canada’s Chief Medical Advisor, announced that Health Canada has expanded the Interim Order authorization to allow the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the use in children aged 12 to 15.

Pfizer has conducted a study that shows their vaccine regiment has 100% efficacy in this younger age group, and submitted their request for an expanded approval on April 16th.

Health Canada will be providing more information on the accessibility and roll out of vaccines tomorrow. It will be up to individual provinces too determine the timing of when this age group will be able to receive their doses.

You can read more here.