Ontario residents who received first dose of AstraZeneca can get booster of Pfizer or Moderna at 12-week mark
Ontario residents who got a first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and want to switch can get a booster shot of Pfizer or Moderna at the 12-week mark.
The dosing interval was one of the last remaining questions after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization said earlier this week that different types of vaccines can be mixed in the wake of concerns about increased risk of rare blood clots from AstraZeneca, mainly after first inoculations.
Ontario's chief medical officer Dr. David Williams confirmed Thursday that Ontario will adopt the mixing recommendation starting Friday.
It is vital that everyone who received the AstraZeneca vaccine for their first dose receives a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine," he said in a statement.
Recipients of AstraZeneca or the related Covishield vaccine can make appointments using the second dose only" option on the provincial booking system starting next week or through local health units using their own systems.
AstraZeneca first-dosers can also get a second shot of the same vaccine at 12 weeks for peak protection against COVID-19. Those appointments can be booked at the pharmacy or primary care provider where they got the first injection, or by searching for another provider.
Thousands of AstraZeneca recipients have been frustrated that the pharmacies where they got their first shots are not carrying the vaccine anymore.
Williams said any AstraZeneca recipients unsure of which option to pick for a second dose should consult their doctor.
The province is set to release a recent shipment of 254,500 doses of AstraZeneca to pharmacies across the province after providing an initial second-dose release of about 55,000 to pharmacies in Toronto, Windsor-Essex and the Kingston-area health units for shots to people who got vaccinated March 10-19 as part of a pilot project.
Also on mixing, people who got Pfizer or Moderna as their first shots could get the other for their booster if their initial vaccine is not available.
Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1