Lambton Public Health Expands Eligibility for COVID-19 Vaccine Second Doses

Point Edward, ON – Individuals who are 75 years of age and older or those who received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on or before March 31 are now eligible to book their second dose vaccination appointments. In addition, residents who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine within the same time period (on or before March 31) or are 75 and older may also choose to book a second dose appointment for another approved COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (i.e. Pfizer or Moderna depending on availability).

NACI (National Advisory Committee on Immunization) and the Province of Ontario recently updated their recommendation on the inter-changeability of COVID-19 vaccines for second doses following studies from Germany, the UK, and Spain saying:

• If the first dose was the AstraZeneca (COVISHIELD) vaccine, NACI recommends to receive either the same vaccine or an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) for the second dose.
• If the first dose was an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna), NACI recommends that the same vaccine product be offered for the second dose.
• If the same mRNA vaccine is not readily available or unknown, another mRNA vaccine can be considered interchangeable and should be offered for the second dose.

Alternatively, residents may also choose to receive a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, through pharmacies as available.

You will be contacted directly via email or phone to schedule your second vaccine. If you are age 75 and older or were immunized during this time period and have not been contacted by end of day today, please call Lambton Public Health’s Vaccine Call Centre from Monday to Friday (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) at 226-254-8222 or visit the Contact Us page on LambtonPublicHealth.ca.

Please do not call the Vaccine Call Centre unless you are 75 years of age and older, or you received your first COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca) during the allotted time period (on or before March 31, 2021). Vaccine Call Centre volumes are extremely high this week. If you are unable to reach us, please call back.

Second dose administration is being distributed according to the age-based and priority sequencing of first doses. As such, LPH is re-scheduling all existing second dose appointments in an effort to re-prioritize and re-book second doses in succession.

Based on vaccine supply to the region, Lambton Public Health will continue to book second dose appointments in increments moving forward, and following the order in which first doses were administered. Residents of Lambton County will be notified of their eligibility to book directly (via email/phone). Broader communications will also be made via weekly news releases, website and social media channels.

Please be patient as our clinics are booking up quickly. If clinics are fully booked, check back often. Additional clinics will be opened as vaccine supply is confirmed.

Lambton Public Health also continues to prioritize individuals who are medically eligible for a reduced second dose internal, along with a large number of eligible High-Risk Healthcare workers, all First Nations, Inuit and Metis individuals to book their second dose appointments.

For the latest updates on Lambton County’s COVID-19 Immunization Rollout please visit GetTheVaccine.ca.

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Please contact:

LPH Media Inquiries