With thousands of needles going into arms all over Ontario daily, those patiently waiting for a vaccine appointment may not have to wait much longer.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit confirmed on Monday that locally, it plans to be able to offer the vaccine to anyone over the age of 18 by May 27, while those aged 30 and above will have access even sooner than that.
The Ontario government announced Monday that those who are 40 and over, as well as people with at-risk health conditions, will be eligible to book appointments at mass vaccination clinics as of Tuesday. The health unit said it would start booking appointments for this age group on Thursday. Those 30 and over will be eligible as of May 20.
"The 20th for the 30+ population, and the 27th for the 18+ population, are still pending provincial confirmation, but those are the dates we believe we will be able to open," said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie.
The Health Unit has also announced changes to vaccine eligibility, which can be found on its website. If you're eligible under the new guidelines for essential workers, you can book a vaccine appointment on Tuesday, if you swear an affirmation to be eligible for an appointment.
"This week we're getting over 12,000 Pfizer, and in the range of 10,000 Moderna," Mackie said when asked about vaccine supply.
Mackie says more than 216,000 people have received at least one shot of a vaccine, more than half of the adult population in Middlesex-London.