HPPH further expands second dose eligibility

Huron Perth, ON – In keeping with provincial direction, starting Monday, June 28, Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) will expand eligibility for an earlier second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to anyone aged 18 and older who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine.  The HPPH vaccination booking system will be able to process these requests by noon on Monday, June 28.  Please do not try to call or book an appointment before then.

Individuals who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine before May 30 are already eligible to book a second dose at a shortened interval.  A list of clinics is available at www.hpph.ca/vaccinebooking. 

An appointment for a second dose must be at least:

• 28 days after a first dose of Moderna or Pfizer
• 8 weeks after a first dose of AstraZeneca (with informed consent)

Pfizer and Moderna are interchangeable mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, as endorsed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), and the Ontario Ministry of Health. This means that If you had Moderna or Pfizer for your first dose, you can safely take either Moderna or Pfizer for your second dose for strong protection against COVID-19. If you had AstraZeneca for your first dose you can safely take either Moderna, Pfizer or AstraZeneca for your second dose for strong protection. Any combination will count as a completed vaccination series.

Please note that Pfizer is the only vaccine currently approved for youth ages 12-17.

To date, 74% of Huron Perth residents aged 18 and older have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 25% are fully vaccinated.  “I am very pleased by the vaccination rates in Huron Perth, says Dr. Miriam Klassen, Medical Officer of Health. “I strongly encourage anyone who has not yet received their first dose to book an appointment as soon as possible, and I urge everyone to make their second dose a priority once they are eligible. Two doses of vaccine are needed for full protection, especially against the highly transmissible Delta variant, and will help us all get back to enjoying the things we’ve missed.”

How to book an appointment:

• HPPH does not book second dose appointments when you get your first dose. You must book your second dose once you are eligible.
• Use the HPPH second dose calculator available at www.hpph.ca/SecondDose to find out when you can receive your second dose.
• Once you know your earliest appointment date, visit the HPPH booking system at www.hpph.ca/vaccinebooking or call 1-833-753-2098 for available clinics.
  • If your earliest possible second dose date falls within the date range of an upcoming HPPH clinic, please book an appointment. If clinics are not yet available during the time you are due for your second dose, please check back for future clinics.
  • You can also subscribe to the booking webpage to get alerts when new clinics are added.
• Please be patient as large volume of website traffic and call volume can significantly slow down our systems and ability to get back to people quickly.

Know which vaccine to expect at HPPH clinics

All clinics on the HPPH website now show which vaccine is expected to be administered. If you would like to receive a specific vaccine, then book into an HPPH clinic that offers that vaccine. However, due to supply changes, we cannot always guarantee the availability of a specific product.  In that case, we will offer an appropriate alternative. You can then decide if you wish to proceed and receive the vaccine.

Please note that we will provide Pfizer to youth ages 12-17, in keeping with age requirements.

If you want to rebook into a different clinic, you must first cancel your current appointment.

• To cancel your appointment, go to www.hpph.ca/vaccinebooking and choose the Click Here to Cancel your Appointment box. You can also call the booking line at 1-833-753-2098; press 2 (two). Please include your first and last name and the date, time, and location of your scheduled appointment.
• We thank all those who are cancelling unneeded appointments to help make these appointments available to others.

For more information:

• www.hpph.ca/SecondDose
• www.hpph.ca/vaccinebooking
• Follow us at www.facebook.com/HuronPerthPublicHealth and www.twitter.com/HPPublicHealth
• Call HPPH at 1-888-221-2133