Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/May 10, 2021 – Beginning tomorrow, Tuesday May 11 at 8 a.m., booking eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations has been expanded in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties.

Who is Eligible to Book starting May 11?

The following groups can start booking COVID-19 vaccination appointments directly at ontario.ca/bookvaccine tomorrow.

• individuals with at-risk health conditions, such as dementia, diabetes and sickle cell disease
• People who cannot work from home (Group Two), including:
  • Essential and critical retail workers (including grocery, foodbank, pharmacy, ServiceOntario, ServiceCanada, Passport Canada, wholesalers and general goods, restaurant, LCBO workers)
  • Workers in manufacturing industries directly involved in supporting the COVID-19 response, construction and other essential businesses and services where facilities are at heightened risk for COVID-19 outbreaks and spread
  • Social workers and social services staff who provide in-person client services
  • Courts and justice system workers
  • Transportation, warehousing and distribution workers
  • Electricity workers
  • Communications infrastructure workers
  • Water and wastewater management workers
  • Financial services workers (bank branch staff)
  • Veterinarians and veterinary teams
  • Waste management workers
  • Oil and petroleum workers
  • Natural gas and propane gas workers
  • Mine workers
  • Uranium processing workers
    

Those 40 and Older Eligible to Book Starting Thursday, May 13

Starting on Thursday, May 13 at 8 a.m., Hasting Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) residents turning 40 and over in 2021 can also book an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through the provincial booking system.

How to Book Your Appointment

Eligible individuals are encouraged to book online at ontario.ca/bookvaccine. Online booking is encouraged. If you are unable to book online, please contact the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line at 1-833-943-3900. The Booking Line is available 8 a.m.- 8 p.m., Monday to Sunday. You will need your health card number to book, and you may be asked qualifying questions such as where you work, and the nature of your employment. As booking is managed by the province, please do not contact HPEPH to inquire about appointment booking.

Second Dose Interval for High-Risk Health Care Workers Moved Up

The Ontario government is adding high-risk health care workers to the list of those eligible to receive their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier than the extended four-month interval. Eligibility for booking will begin by the end of this week and booking details will be provided on the HPEPH website and social media channels in the coming days.

“I am very pleased that the Ministry of Health has made high-risk health care workers a priority for receiving their second vaccine sooner,” said Dr. Piotr Oglaza, Medical Officer of Health and CEO at HPEPH. “This will afford front-line workers the additional protection they need as they place themselves at risk each day to provide care for known and potential cases of COVID-19.”

High-risk health care workers who will be eligible for the shortened second-dose interval are:

• All hospital and acute care staff in frontline roles with COVID-19 patients and/or with a high-risk of exposure to COVID-19
• All patient-facing health care workers involved in the COVID-19 response
• Medical First Responders
• Community health care workers serving specialized populations
• Long-term care home and retirement-home health care workers, including nurses and personal support workers and Essential Caregivers
• Individuals working in Community Health Centres serving disproportionally affected communities and/or communities experiencing highest burden of health, social and economic impacts from COVID-19
• Critical health care workers in remote and hard to access communities, e.g., sole practitioner
• Home and community care health care workers, including nurses and personal support workers caring for recipients of chronic homecare and seniors in congregate living facilities or providing hands-on care to COVID-19 patients in the community

Please be Patient

While the province has expanded eligibility to book appointments, HPEPH can only administer the amount of vaccines received in our region each week. Unfortunately, this means that being eligible to book does not guarantee that an appointment will be available right away. HPEPH will be able to offer more appointments each week.

Eligible individuals are encouraged to continue checking Ontario.ca/bookvaccine as new clinic dates are added frequently. Eligible groups who are not able to secure an appointment can register on HPEPH’s standby list each week. Please note – in order to ensure public health resources are used as effectively as possible during this critical time, only individuals who do not have a booked appointment are eligible to register on the standby list.

While you are waiting for your appointment

We will continue our efforts to vaccinate all those who are eligible. In the meantime, please continue to follow all public health precautions such as leaving home only for essential reasons, limiting close contact to those within your household, wearing a face covering when distancing is not possible, and washing your hands frequently. If you experience any symptoms of COVID-19, even mild ones, isolate from others and get tested.

Please visit our website and follow us on social media for updated information on everything related to vaccines, including groups that are currently eligible. Thank you again to the community for your patience and enthusiasm as we work diligently to offer vaccines to everyone.