Residents who received first doses of AstraZeneca vaccine can book a single second dose appointment to receive Pfizer or Moderna starting June 8
Effective immediately, Halton residents 70 years of age and older have the option to reschedule their second dose appointment at a shortened interval through Halton Region’s online booking system (external link).
“We are pleased to offer earlier second dose appointments for residents 70+, based on expected supply and appointment availability,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “We continue to make great progress and have already vaccinated almost 70 per cent of our community with the first dose. While we look forward to offering more options for first doses and earlier second dose appointments to more groups, our ability to do so remains dependent on vaccine supply from the Provincial and Federal Governments and appointment availability.”
Halton Region intends to align as closely as possible with the Province’s anticipated schedule (external link) for shortened second dose intervals. Starting Tuesday, June 8, residents who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) on or before April 18, 2021 will have the option to reschedule their second dose appointment at a shortened interval, in alignment with Provincial direction (external link). Please note, due to the current limited supply of the Moderna vaccine from the Provincial and Federal Government, there may be a limited availability of appointments for shortened intervals for anyone who received a first dose of Moderna.
Halton has capacity across its seven clinics to offer more appointments; however, decisions to expand eligibility are dependent on vaccine supplies allocated to Halton Region from the Province and local appointment availability. Information on when additional groups will be eligible to reschedule second dose appointments, in alignment with Provincial priority sequence, will be announced as supplies and appointments are confirmed.
Halton Region is asking residents to reach out to anyone who may require support rescheduling their appointment online (external link), such as a family member, neighbour or friend. Residents who require additional support with rescheduling can also call 311 for assistance.
“Accelerating second doses for more groups will help prevent severe illness and provide greater protection to those most at risk in our community,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. “Getting everyone vaccinated is critically important. If you haven’t booked your first dose appointment yet, including youth 12-17, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. The more people we get vaccinated each and every day brings us closer to returning to normal.”
Updated Provincial Guidance on mixing second doses
The Province has provided updated guidance on vaccine mixing (external link) that aligns with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)’s recommendations (external link). The Province has recommended that those individuals who received their first dose of AstraZeneca get AstraZeneca or an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) for their second dose at the 12-week interval. In alignment with Provincial direction, starting Tuesday, June 8, residents who received the AstraZeneca vaccine as their first dose, can book a single second dose appointment to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their second dose through Halton’s online booking system (external link). Appointments will be booked at 12-weeks from the first dose and are dependent on vaccine supply. Based on their eligibility, residents who received a first dose of AstraZeneca can also choose to get their second dose (AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna) at a participating pharmacy (external link) or primary care provider.
Important information & instructions:
- Effective immediately, Halton residents 70 years of age and older have the option to reschedule their second COVID-19 vaccine dose at a shortened interval.
- Starting Tuesday, June 8, residents who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) on or before April 18, 2021, will have the option to reschedule their second dose appointment at a shortened interval.
- The easiest way to reschedule second dose appointments is online. Residents can reschedule by visiting halton.ca/COVIDvaccines and selecting the “Reschedule your appointment” button as seen below:
- Residents who provided an email address when they originally booked their appointments can reschedule online. Residents who did not provide an email will need to call 311 to reschedule. Residents who are not currently eligible are asked to not call 311 to ensure that those that need the service have access.
- Eligible residents may also have the option to book an earlier second dose appointment through a participating pharmacy (external link) or primary care provider, based on Provincial eligibility. If residents are able to find an earlier appointment, they should cancel their existing second dose appointment (external link) at a Halton Region clinic to open the appointment for someone else who is eligible.
- Please note, due to the current limited supply of the Moderna vaccine from the Provincial and Federal Government, there may be a limited availability of appointments for shortened intervals for anyone who received a first dose of Moderna.
- Starting Tuesday, June 8, Halton residents who received the AstraZeneca vaccine for their first dose can book a single second dose appointment to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their second dose through Halton’s online booking system (external link).
- The easiest way to book appointments is online. Residents can book by visiting halton.ca/COVIDvaccines and clicking the “Book your appointment” button as seen below:
- Based on their eligibility, residents who received a first dose of AstraZeneca can also choose to get their second dose (AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna) at a participating pharmacy or primary care provider. If residents are able to find an earlier appointment, they should cancel their existing second dose appointment (external link) at a Halton Region clinic to open the appointment for someone else who is eligible.
- Booking and rescheduling for Halton residents is not available through the Provincial booking system; residents who access the Provincial booking system will be redirected back to Halton’s system.
- Halton Region continues to offer accessibility, accommodations and language supports at the clinics and transportation services to and from appointments for residents who require support, free of charge.
- Residents are asked to attend their appointments alone if possible in order to limit the amount of individuals in our clinics and maintain adequate physical distancing. You may bring one support person, if required (for example, a caregiver or interpreter).
- To maintain physical distancing and safety measures, please arrive 10 minutes prior to your appointment (not earlier) and remember to wear a non-medical mask.
To learn more about Halton Region’s COVID-19 Vaccine Program, including who is currently eligible and how to book an appointment, please visit halton.ca/COVIDvaccines.
The Regional Municipality of Halton serves more than 595,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; Regional roads and planning; paramedic services; waste management; public health; social assistance; children’s and seniors’ services; housing services; heritage programs; emergency management and economic development. For more information, call 311 or visit Halton Region’s website at halton.ca.