Are you wondering when you will be eligible to receive a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?

Earlier this year, vaccine supply in Canada was lacking. To help more of our population receive a first dose of the vaccine and some protection from COVID-19 sooner, Canada decided to extend the time interval between the first and second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from 21 days to up to 16 weeks. This has not shown to decrease the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Now that vaccine supply has increased and that 65% of eligible Ontarians have received a first dose of the vaccine, the province will be speeding up eligibility for second doses. In fact, Ontario is now aiming for a “two dose summer” and it is anticipated that the majority of those who want a vaccine will be fully immunized by the end of August.

This is great news for our province and communities! Increasing the percentage of individuals who are fully immunized will provide us with additional armor as we fight this virus and work on safely reopening our province.

Here is how second dose vaccine rollout is expected to look like:

Individuals who are aged 80 and older will be prioritized first, and then appointments will be expanded to those 70 and above. After that, the province will shift to a “first in, first out” strategy and individuals will be offered a second dose appointment based on the date they received their first dose. In Marathon, the age strategy is expected to start in mid-June and the “first in, first out” strategy will likely start in early July, depending on vaccine availability in our region.

Below is a list of COVID-19 immunization clinic dates that have been confirmed in Marathon for the month of June. The Marathon Family Health Team will continue to work closely with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit in order to plan regular immunization clinics throughout the summer and to reach the goal of fully immunizing everyone 12 years of age and older who wish to receive the vaccine over the next few months.

First and second dose eligibility criteria for upcoming COVID-19 immunization clinics

June 3^rd

• Remaining adults 18+ years of age (first doses)
• Youth 12+ years of age who are essential workers or who have a priority health condition (first doses)
• High-risk healthcare workers (second doses)
• Indigenous adults and their household members (second doses)
• Individuals 18+ with specific priority health conditions (second doses)
  • Organ or stem cell transplant recipients
  • Individuals who are on active cancer treatment
  • Individuals who are on dialysis
  • Immunocompromised individuals who are on an anti-CD20 agent (e.g., rituximab, ocrelizumab, ofatumumab)
• Individuals who received their first dose on March 2^nd or March 4^th (second doses)

June 17^th

• Remaining adults 18+ years of age (first doses)
• Youth ages 12 to 17 and their eligible family members (first doses)
• Individuals 80+ years of age (second doses)
• Remaining individuals who were prioritized for second doses on June 3^rd (second doses)

June 24^th

• Remaining youth 12 to 17 years of age and their eligible family members (first doses)
• Individuals 70+ years of age (second doses)

The MFHT is committed to keeping our patients and communities informed about upcoming COVID-19 immunization clinics and accelerated second dose eligibility. More information will be shared as soon as it is confirmed to us by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

Appointment booking

If you have not yet received a first dose of the COVID-19 and wish to receive one, you are encouraged to contact the clinic and request an appointment. You can request an appointment by calling 807-229-3243 or by clicking here.

Individuals who become eligible for second doses can expect to be contacted by the MFHT when it’s their turn to receive the vaccine. Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria for a second dose in June and who is concerned that they may miss our call can also request an appointment by following the steps mentioned above.

Thank you to all of our patients and community members who are taking this important step in protecting themselves, their loved ones and our communities. We look forward to offering everyone a second dose of the vaccine as soon as we are able.