Ontario Will Be Lowering Its Age Requirement For Vaccine Appointments In High-Risk Areas

In an attempt to fight the third wave, COVID-19 vaccines will now be available to people 18 and over in the province's biggest hotspots. 

The Ford government announced on April 7 that the most at-risk neighbourhoods in Peel and Toronto will be prioritized in the vaccine rollout, however, it has not listed which areas those are.

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To support this, mobile teams will be sent out to administer vaccine doses to people 18 years old and over in high-risk settings, residential buildings, places of worship, and at large workplace locations in those neighbourhoods.

There will also be pop-up clinics in these areas. 

The government announced that eligibility for the provincial booking system will also be extended to include people aged 50 and up in high-risk areas as of April 9, 2021. 

Who is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario right now? 

The province is currently in Phase 2 of its vaccine rollout.

Adults aged 60 and older are eligible to get a dose at vaccination clinics, while adults turning 55 or older this year can get a dose at a participating pharmacy.

With Wednesday's announcement, eligibility has also been extended to all adults aged 18 and older in hotspot neighbourhoods, as well as teachers in high-risk areas within Peel and Toronto. 

All across the province, education workers who support students with special needs will also be able to get a vaccine dose. 

The District School Board of Niagara also announced that its teachers and education workers can get vaccine doses between April 10 and April 18.