The Ottawa area's weekly COVID-19 vaccination checkup: May 20

Highlights:

• All adults in Ontario are now eligible for vaccination.
• Not everyone who became eligible this week could get an appointment.
• Quebec lays out what fully vaccinated residents will be allowed todo, and when.

Every Thursday, CBC Ottawa brings youthisroundup of COVID-19 vaccinationdevelopments throughoutthe region.

There have been more than 1,070,000 doses administered in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region, which has about 2.3 million residents.That'sabout 120,000doses more than last Thursday.

Ontario has issued broad vaccinationguidelines, but has alsogiven local health units someflexibility.There's more information in thelinks at the bottom of the page.

The provincial picture

Ontario is now offering vaccination against COVID-19 to all adults in the province, including anyone turning 18 in 2021.

Some local health unitsincluding Ottawa Public Health (OPH)said all available appointments were bookedwithin two to three hoursTuesday morning.

They're advising people who didn't get a spot to signup for standby lists and pharmacy wait-lists until more appointmentsbecome available.

WATCH | The vaccination waiting game continues for many:

City of Ottawa saw vaccine bottleneck as eligibility expanded

3 years ago

Duration 1:20

Keith Egli, chair of the Ottawa Board of Health, and Anthony Di Monte, general manager of emergency and protective services, say the provinces expansion of vaccine eligibility created a bit of a bottleneck in Ottawa, with more residents looking for appointments than there were doses available.

The week of May 31, the minimum age for vaccinationdrops to 12. Ontariosays it's working with school boards to plan for for this age group.

Individual health units and First Nations can choose to vaccinate children ages 12 to 17 before then; Akwesasneand Tyendinagaare lowering the age of eligibility to12, and Ottawa is vaccinating some 16- and 17-year-olds.

WATCH | A Q&A on vaccinating teens:

The advantages and challenges of COVID-19 vaccines for youth

3 years ago

Duration 6:15

As more provinces start distributing COVID-19 vaccines to children 12 and up, a pediatrician and infectious diseases physician answer questions about the advantages of vaccinating the younger population and the accompanying challenges.

Quebec's reopening plan lays out what fully vaccinated people will be allowed to do, and when. It is expected to share its plans Thursdayfor vaccinating children age 12 to 17.

Quebec has joined other provinces in pausing use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine for first doses, electing to save its supply for second doses.

• Experts call on Canada to use COVAX AstraZeneca doses or give them back

Federal health officials have given a big-picture look at what summer and autumn may looklikeif enough people are vaccinated.

The national vaccine campaign has a new boss.Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, who stepped downoveramilitary investigation into a sexual misconduct allegation,is replaced by Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie.

WATCH | A Q&A on some common vaccine questions:

Vaccine hesitant? Get answers to your most-asked questions

3 years ago

Duration 6:31

Wondering about severe side effects or if COVID-19 vaccines considered experimental? Dr. Cora Constantinescu, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with the Vaccine Hesitancy Clinic at Alberta Childrens Hospital in Calgary, breaks down your most-asked vaccine questions.

Ottawa

OPH has stopped doing pop-up vaccinationclinics inpriority areas. The city says there are permanent clinics near some of its harder-hit areas, and it's still offeringsupport to people needing transportation.

OPH has now included16- and 17-year-olds with certain health conditions to its list of those eligible for vaccination. Special clinics should be set up for children age 12 to 17 starting the week of June 14.

More than 480,000doses have now been given to Ottawa residents, including about 33,000second doses.

Forty-three per cent of the city'spopulation of about 1,050,000 has had at least one dose, or 53per cent of adult residents.

The9,792 vaccine doses administered in Ottawa on Saturday isa new daily high.

Western Quebec

It's bringing back walk-in vaccines at downtown Gatineau'sPalais des Congrs. They'll be offered as people come in from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

That's a change from its earlier walk-in clinic when people would get a ticket with a time slot later that day.

The Outaouais has distributed more than 217,000vaccine doses among a population of about 386,000.

WATCH |The journey vaccines takefrom the factory to your arm:

How Canada's vaccines get from the factory to your arm

3 years ago

Duration 3:55

Behind the scenes, there's a complicated system that ensures vaccines leaving a foreign factory are safely administered here.

Eastern Ontario Health Unit

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotissaid Monday 44 pharmacies should be offering vaccinesby the end of May.

More than 90,000 vaccine doses have been administered among a population of about 209,000. Roumeliotis said Monday more than half the region'sadults have now had a first dose, and he expects that to rise to 70 per cent by the end of the month.

TheCornwall Community Hospital says its front-line health-care workers are getting their second doses.

Roumeliotissaid late last week that while vaccinationappointments foreligible school-age children willbe available for booking in early June, it's likely going to be mid- to late-June before they get their first doses at special clinics.

He said residents likely won't have to wait themaximum16 weeks between doses, though that won't be confirmed until June at the earliest.

Renfrew County

With a population of about 109,000, Renfrew County has distributed more than 45,000 doses, or enough for nearly half its adult population.

The region has seen a rise in "no-shows" at vaccination clinics, and health officials areasking people to cancel appointmentsif they're not planning on getting their shot.

The region's medical officer of health is asking people who have had a first dose not to call and ask about a second dose unlessat least 12 weeks havepassed.

WATCH | Second doses in Renfrew County:

Hastings Prince Edward

The health unit is requiring agriculture workers have access to transportation to a vaccine clinic during working hours, and information on vaccines in whichever language they speak.

Nearly 78,000 doses have been administered to this area's residents, including more than 6,200 second doses. Forty-threeper centof the local population of about 168,000 has now had a first dose.

People eligible for a sped-up second dose should pre-register with the health unit.

• Why many Canadians feel stuck in 'limbo' without COVID-19 vaccine 2nd-dose appointments

A new clinic at theQuinte Sports and Wellness Centre in north Belleville should open May 31.

Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington

The health unit is sharinga website listing all pharmacies offering vaccines and whether they have supply or not.

The region, with a population of about 213,000,has given nearly 100,000 vaccine doses to residents, including nearly4,600second doses.

It's now given a first dose to more than 45per cent of its general population,more than 50 per cent of its adult population and90 per cent of its population age 60 and above.

WATCH | The area's plans for the coming weeks:

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark

Nearly 58,000 of the region's 173,000 residents have received at least onedose, according to the local health unit. That number doesn't include doses administered through pharmacies.

It continues to run weekly pop-up clinics targeted at residents of smaller communities.