Ottawa opens five new COVID-19 vaccination clinics, eligibility for accelerated second doses expands

OTTAWA -

Only Moderna doses will be available at city of Ottawa clinics to start this week, as five new COVID-19 community vaccination clinics open and the province expands eligibility for an accelerated second dose.

Ottawa and health units across the province are dealing with the fallout from a delay in this week's shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. The city said late Sunday that to ensure all vaccine appointments are honoured this week, adults 18 and over will receive the Moderna vaccine, adding it is interchangeable with Pfizer.

Starting at 8 a.m., all adults 18 and over who received their first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine on or before May 9, 2021, became eligible to book or rebook their second dose appointment at a shortened interval.

You can book your accelerated second dose through the Ontario government's online provincial portal or by calling 1-833-943-3900.

In Ottawa, an estimated 155,000 people who received a first dose between April 19 and May 9 are newly eligible to book an accelerated second dose.

Ottawa's general manager of emergency and protective services Anthony Di Monte warned demand will be "significant" and not everyone will be able to book an accelerated second dose today or this week.

"Those 155,000, while they may not all get in, obviously, this week because we only have 60,000 additional (doses), I think in the coming weeks we'll be able to make great strides and knock away in that group as well," said Di Monte, adding the city expects additional doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in Ottawa in the coming weeks.

On Friday, the city announced an additional 25,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine and a "strategic allotment" of 33,500 Moderna doses were being sent to Ottawa. The federal government is expected to receive nine million doses of the Moderna vaccine by the end of June.

NEW COMMUNITY CLINICS

Five new vaccination clinics open in Ottawa today, including at Canadian Tire Centre and the University of Ottawa.

The city says the additional supply of vaccines expected in the coming weeks allows it to open new sites.

The five new COVID-19 community clinics are:

• Canadian Tire Centre – 1000 Palladium Drive
• University of Ottawa – Minto Sports Complex – King Edward Avenue
• Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park
• Canterbury Recreation Complex – 2185 Arch Street
• Nepean Sportsplex – Curling Rink – 1701 Woodroffe Avenue

There are now 11 community clinics operating in the city of Ottawa, which can administer 100,000 doses a week altogether.

The city says the vaccination clinics at Canadian Tire Centre and uOttawa can each administer 2,000 doses a day, while the clinic at Nepean Sportsplex can administer 1,900 doses a day. The Canterbury Recreation Complex will administer 1,100 doses a day, while 984 doses will be administered at the Horticulture Building.

These clinics require appointments booked via the provincial booking system. No walk-ins are accepted at community clinics.

A list of pop-up clinics for residents of high priority neighbourhoods can be found here. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT FOR A COVID-19 VACCINE

The Ontario government says when booking an appointment through the provincial online system, you will be asked for the following information:

• Government of Ontario green photo health card
• Birth date
• Postal code
• Email address or phone number

At the time of booking, eligible individuals will schedule their first and second vaccination appointments.