TORONTO – Ontario is racing against time on the vaccination front. The immunization campaign against Covid-19 is now being accelerated again with the opening of reservations to vaccinate even for people who are at least 75 years old: from March 15th the provincial system accepted reservations only for those who were at least 80. In order to get vaccinated, you must connect to the internet portal activated by the provincial government (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine)or by telephone, by calling the toll-free number 1-888-999-6488, where a telephone operator will collect the information necessary to make the reservation.

According to authorities, more than 50 percent of Ontario residents aged 80 and over have so far received the first dose of the vaccine. Since the launch of the portal, about 239,000 bookings have been confirmed for the first dose and for the recall one.

The province then announced that news is also coming on the AstraZeneca front. Also today in numerous pharmacies throughout the province all residents of at least 60 years old will be able to book the first dose of the vaccine produced by the Anglo-Swedish consortium. Until last week, health Canada’s regulator recommended the use of AstraZeneca only for citizens in the 60 to 64 age group, then the green light came for older people as well. The vaccination campaign with AstraZeneca last week was blocked for a few days in many European states due to some cases of thrombosis that came to young people after receiving the vaccine. EMA, the European drug body, confirmed the safety and efficacy of AstraZeneca last Thursday after reviewing clinical data: there would have been 18 cases of thrombosis on more than 20 million vaccinated people. In Canada, however, there has been no suspension. So far, 327 pharmacies are participating in the vaccination campaign, a number that is expected to double in the coming weeks.

But not only that. Many family doctors are starting to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine and will begin administering it in the coming days.

Meanwhile, at the federal level, the government continues to press for an ever-increasing number of doses. According to health authorities, Canada will receive one million doses per sect from Pfizer over the next eight weeks, while Moderna is expected to send 1.5 million doses by April 15. The United States, through President Joe Biden, has promised to send Canada 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca, while the timing of health Canada’s fourth vaccine, Johnson and Johnson’s, is still uncertain: the first supplies are expected to arrive in Canada in the second half of April, although in this case the roadmap has not yet been defined. The stated goal of the provincial and federal health authorities is to provide at least one dose of vaccine to all Canadians who want to immunize themselves against Covid 19 by next July 1st and then to complete the vaccination campaign by September.