OTTAWA -- Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The mayor was vaccinated at the Nepean Sportsplex Wednesday morning. He had previously signed up to receive a vaccine at his local pharmacy but said Tuesday he's taken his name off of that list.

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Vaccine eligibility at community clinics is open to any residents 55 or older. Watson is 59. The eligibility will drop to anyone 50 and older as of 8 a.m. Thursday.

Watson has been a strong proponent of the vaccination effort, often sharing updates on his social media accounts. He also noted, when former prime ministers Joe Clark and Jean Chrétien received their vaccines at a community clinic, that there is "something very Canadian about our leaders lining up with everyone else to get their COVID-19 vaccine."

To date, more than 340,000 residents of Ottawa have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.