While there’s a lot of information “out there” about COVID-19 Vaccinations, many people are still unsure about how to book them, where to go to get them or even if they are eligible for a vaccine.
Here’s some information that we hope will encourage you to book your Vaccination TODAY!!
Also, remember that the Ontario “Lockdown” is likely to extend past May 20th so please be safe this Victoria Day Holiday! https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ontario-shutdown-may-20-expert-covid-1.6015825
Where to book your COVID-19 Vaccination:
Go to the Ontario Vaccination Booking site:
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/
Check the local news channels daily for Pop-up clinics:
https://www.cp24.com/news/these-are-the-locations-where-adults-in-some-hot-spot-postal-codes-can-get-a-covid-19-vaccine-today-1.5418195
* Pop-up Clinics are available to all age groups (i.e. 18 and over) but are on “first come-first serve”. They do not require a booking, but you must act quickly.
There is also a Twitter group that helps to find Pop-up clinics:
https://twitter.com/VaxHuntersCan?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Who can book and When:
Refer to the Eligibility Criteria Site:
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/ontarios-covid-19-vaccination-plan
In order to book You Must:
- be 40 years old or older in 2021 to get the AstraZeneca vaccine … OR
- be 18 years old or older in 2021 to get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine… OR
- be in “Group 1” (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/ontarios-covid-19-vaccination-plan#group-1)
Starting week of May 10th – be in “Group 2” (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/ontarios-covid-19-vaccination-plan#group-2) – including those unable to work from home
AND you must have a valid Ontario health (OHIP) card or other form of government-issued ID
** People ages 18 or over in targeted hot spots will be able to book their vaccinations after May 24th
What can you expect?
Check out the Government of Canada Website for details:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/vaccines/what-expect-vaccination.html
- Before you get the vaccination, you are advised by the medical technician of the various possible side effects you may experience as well as what to do if you exhibit certain symptoms. It is a good idea to ensure you have someone around you for a day or so after you are vaccinated, just for “peace of mind”.
- Ask others who have had the vaccine.
- Be aware of what Vaccine you are getting – bear in mind that there are essentially 2 “kinds” of Vaccines (certified in Canada):
- mRNA – Pfizer & Moderna – Essentially, this is “genetic material” that helps to “train” your immune system to generate antibodies that will protect against COVID-19.
- COVID-19 vaccine – AstraZeneca and Jansen (Johnson & Johnson) – This is what we traditionally think of as a Vaccine – it is essentially a controlled dose of the virus itself which allows your body time to properly build up anti-bodies to protect against COVID-19.
So, the side effects of these can and do vary. Note, the above is a very simplified description of the vaccines – for more specific information on Vaccine types, you can look at the following web site: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html
Booking your COVID-19 Vaccination:
From the Ontario Vaccination Booking site (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/), you will have 2 choices to book: via the Provincial online system or find a participating Pharmacy:
A. Provincial Online Booking:
https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/
The system will determine your eligibility, based on your Health Card, DOB and Postal Code:
It will then walk you through a “wizard” in order to book your vaccination:
B. A Participating Pharmacy:
https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations
You will have options to select a Pharmacy as well as filters on whether or not they are open and the type of Vaccination they provide. Once you find a Pharmacy location in your area, you will click on their website – different pharmacies have different websites.
Note the “Before you go” requirements – As at May 10th these are:
For example: I selected Shoppers Drug Mart – for Shoppers Drug Mart, you fill out a series of questions and after that you are put into a Queue – I suspect the same is true for other Pharmacies:
You are asked how you wish to be notified for when a spot is available: Text or Email – I recommend selecting both to make sure you get it:
You are also prompted if you have a preferred location- I recommend selecting “No”, otherwise you may end up waiting longer for availability of vaccines at your specific location:
After this, you will receive an email that looks something like this:
When an appointment is available, you will be notified and provided a link from which you can schedule your actual appointment – I had a fairly good selection of times from which I could choose my appointment.
Note that you have 24 hours to respond, so you must respond quickly.
We hope this has helped answer some of your questions and we encourage you to book as soon as possible.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay happy.