York Region not accelerating hot spot 2nd doses for ages 12 to 17

Newmarkettoday.ca
June 28, 2021

31,000 appointments will open Monday; despite the province's announcement, the public health unit is holding off on the doses until vaccine supply increases
2 days ago By: Debora Kelly

vaccine
While York Region is opening 31,000 new appointments on Monday morning, youth aged 12 to 17 will not be eligible for their second doses, despite the province's announcement that vaccine eligibility would be accelerated for that age group in Delta hot spots.

"York Region works hard to align with the provincial approach, however, York Region is not yet accelerating second dose appointments to youth aged 12 to 17 beyond the eight-week interval," said regional spokesperson Patrick Casey.

Exceptions apply for youth with high-risk health conditions, essential workers who cannot work from home and Indigenous youth, he added.

"York Region will review timing for accelerating second doses for youth aged 12 to 17 as additional appointments and vaccine supplies become available," Casey said.

The public health unit will ensure youth have an opportunity to be fully vaccinated before returning to school in September, he added.

To date, demand for second dose vaccines in older age groups continues to be extremely high in York Region, prior the province's announcement of expanded eligibility to younger age groups, with limited appointments typically being snapped up in the first hour of opening on Mondays.

Youth aged 12 to 17 who live in a Delta hot spot, which includes York Region, will be eligible to book an accelerated second dose appointment through the provincial booking system and participating pharmacies as of today, June 26, the province said yesterday.

York Region medical officer of health Dr. Karim Kurji is advising that youth aged 12 to 17 should hold off on the second dose due to an increased risk of heart complications in the age group.

York Region is recommending a minimum 56-day period between doses for youth to allow Canadian health authorities to study the issue further.

More than 50,351 York Region youth aged 12 to 17 have received one dose; more than 1,700 are fully vaccinated.

On Monday, June 28 at 8 a.m., York Region will open an additional 31,000 COVID-19 vaccine appointments to the following eligibility groups:

• All individuals 18+ who live, work or go to school in York Region and received a first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) at a 28-day interval
• Individuals who received AstraZeneca as their first dose and have chosen to receive an mRNA vaccine for their second dose at an eight-week interval
• All individuals 12+ who live, work or go to school in York Region and have not yet booked their first dose appointment
• Previously booked second dose appointments will be honoured and will not be cancelled unless a new and earlier appointment is confirmed; new appointments can be booked online or by phone by visiting york.ca/COVID19Vaccine.