BREAKING: Province shortens AstraZeneca second dose to 8 weeks in Mississauga, Brampton and Ontario
Published June 12, 2021 at 7:40 pm
The province has confirmed today (June 12) that it will begin accelerating second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, cutting the wait time down to eight weeks (down from 12).
Starting at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, June 14, residents who received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be eligible to book their second dose appointment at an interval of eight weeks or more.
Those who wish to receive an mRNA vaccine for their second dose can book an appointment through the provincial booking system, through public health units that use their own booking system, or a participating pharmacy.
“With informed consent, individuals can choose between a second dose of AstraZeneca or an mRNA vaccine, at an eight to 12-week interval, recognizing that while waiting 12 weeks helps to ultimately provide more protection, some may choose to receive their second dose sooner to have the increased protection provided by a second dose earlier,” the province said in a recent statement.
“All of these options provide protection against COVID-19, including the Delta variant, and have been deemed safe.”
The province says the decision is based on emerging clinical evidence about the administration of two doses of different vaccines, as supported by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI).
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According to the province, multiple studies indicate that mixing COVID-19 vaccines (receiving an mRNA vaccine after an AstraZeneca vaccine) at dosing intervals between eight and 12 weeks is safe and demonstrates a beneficial immune response.
Mayors Patrick Brown and Bonnie Crombie — among other GTHA mayors — had been pushing for a shorter wait time for the second shot, alleging that a 12-week waiting period left essential workers at risk.
“Fantastic news! Accelerating the second-dose interval to 8 weeks for those who stepped up to get AstraZeneca is the fair and equitable thing to do,” Crombie said. “Thank you to the Ontario Government for listening to us.”
“This is great news for our essential workers,” said Brown. “Residents will now have the choice to be fully immunized sooner so they have better protection against variants.”
To date, 11,022,452 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ontario.
The province also reports that Ontario will receive approximately 4.7 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in June, approximately 3.54 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in July, and over two million doses of the Moderna vaccine before the end of June.
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