This is an explainer thread about yesterday’s pharmacy vaccine change, which I think is needed because there is a lot of confusion

“Select pharmacy locations in hotspots are administering the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine to individuals aged 18 and over,” is the statement I got from Christine Elliott’s office when I asked for details.

The phrasing matters here – the pharmacies are in hot spots, but the individuals receiving the vaccine don’t have to be. That is not how the mobile/pop-up clinics for hotspots are operating.

Mid-week, the province announced the Moderna part of this (for York, Durham, Hamilton, Ottawa & Windsor) but it was assumed by me, and seemingly most other Ontarians and media, people 18+ would need to live in a hot-spot postal code. Turns out that was an incorrect assumption.

We also knew Pfizer was heading to select pharmacies in Toronto/Peel hotspots, but, also mid-week, the vaccine task force said those shots would only be for people 55+ living in hot spots.

According to the Ontario Pharmacists Association, the decision to change that age eligibility to people 18+ for Pfizer in TO/Peel happened late Thursday night in conjunction with the gov’t. Pharmacies were informed that day & appts starting getting booked Friday.

This means millions more adults are eligible for shots right now — and is arguably a bigger change than when AZ was opened up to people 60-64 in pharmacies in March.

That move got fanfare and a news conference from the province, but they have been silent on this one for some reason, except for yesterday’s change to this website: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations/

The change comes as 97% of pharmacies are out of AZ and a ton of Pfizer is heading to the province. It also comes during the two-week period when 50% of vaccines are being targeted directly to hot spots, at the request of the science table.

So that means the briefly larger hot-spot allocation can be used by people not living in hotspots because they can book at pharmacies.

Booking at a pharmacy (esp. during a surge) is also tougher than booking through central online portal because you often have to call multiple locations, get on waitlists, etc. Benefits the internet savvy and those with time on their hands.

I’m all for shots in arms so if you can get a spot, book! But, like many aspects of Ontario’s rollout, it didn’t have to be this confusing.

Also, thanks to Justin Bates of the Ontario Pharmacists Association for clarifying how pharmacies make the age 18/born in 2003 decision (it’s different for each mRNA vaccine). https://twitter.com/justjbates/status/1391099384046235654?s=20

Although, I just got a statement from Elliott's office saying something different: "At select participating pharmacies, individuals who are aged 18 years of age or older at the time of vaccination or any time in 2021 are eligible for the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine."