Ontario, Alberta to lower minimum age for AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to 40 from 55

Ontario and Alberta will start offering the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to people age 40 and over startingTuesday.

A spokespersonfor Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the shot will be offered at pharmacies and primary care settings. In a statement Sunday, Alexandra Hilkenesaid the province made the call based on "current supply" of the vaccine.

Hours after Ontario's announcement, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney tweeted the province will follow suit, also lowering the eligibility age from 55 to 40, citing advice fromAlberta public health officials.More details will come in the morning, the premier said.

Before Ontario'sannouncement, the vaccine was only available to people aged 55 and older in Ontarioin line withrecommendations from the National Advisory Council on Immunization(NACI) earlier this spring.

On Sunday, however, the federal government said the provinces and territories werefree to expand eligibility for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine to any adult over the age of 18as some pharmacists warnedthey haddoses sitting idle because of the age restrictions.

"Provinces and territories are free to use AstraZeneca in any population over 18 per Health Canada's license for use in Canada,"federalHealth Minister Patty Hajdutold reporters.

Before Hajdu's comments, Premier Doug Ford's office said itwaswaiting for a federal decision before expanding AstraZeneca-Oxford eligibility from its current 55 and older age restriction.

Ontario is currently grappling with a third wave of the pandemic. The province reported4,250 new COVID-19 casesand 18 more deaths on Sunday.

Pharmacists and doctors want age eligibilitylowered

Earlier in the day, Ontario Pharmacists Association CEO Justin Bates urged the government to take action onAstraZeneca-Oxfordeligibility. "Our view is it is a safe and effective vaccine and the benefits outweigh the risks," Bates said.

"We think it's important to lift the age restriction, prioritize essential workers and get this out to as many people as possible. We don't want wastage."

The association's call was echoed by doctors across Canada who said theyalso want the AstraZeneca age criteria to dropto 35 or 45 years of age. Both Quebec and Alberta said this past week they're considering thischange.

NACI recommended earlier this springthat AstraZeneca be limited to people aged 55 and olderafter a small number of younger people in Europe developed a serious blood-clotting condition. The odds of getting a blood clot are estimated to be between one in 100,000 and one in 250,000.

NACI is now reviewing updated information from Health Canada. The health agencyannounced this week that it has determined AstraZeneca is safe andwill not be restricting its use inany specific populations.

People begging to be vaccinated, pharmacist says

Toronto pharmacist Kyro Masehtold CBC News Sunday morning that hehas 160 AstraZeneca-Oxford doses sitting in his pharmacy's fridge set to expire next month.

He said he was running out of patients over the age of 55 to vaccinateand has had toturn away younger people desperate for a shot.

"I've had several people who broke down and cried in my pharmacy and begged me to vaccinate them because they're fearful to go to work and I can't do anything about it," said Maseh.

"We're not helping anyone if we're giving some people two doses and then other people nothing."

WATCH |Ontario pharmacist calls for expanded vaccine access:

Ontario pharmacist calls for expanded vaccine access

3 years ago

Duration 2:02

Toronto pharmacist Kyro Maseh says instead of having AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot sitting unused at his drug store, he should be allowed to give it to those in the under-55 group, especially front-line workers.