Ontario releases list of pharmacies where COVID-19 vaccine will be available

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TORONTO — The Ontario government has released a list of more than 300 pharmacies that will be offering the AstaZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to eligible residents in Toronto, Windsor-Essex and the Kingston area.

As of Friday, the vaccines will be available at over 325 pharmacy locations in those three regions for Ontarians born between January 1, 1957 and December 31, 1961.

“This is an absolute game changer,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters at Queen’s Park on Wednesday.

“It appears that our vaccine supply is continuing to improve. Yesterday, we received 194,500 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.”

Anyone who wants to get the AstraZeneca vaccine will be required to book an appointment through one of the pharmacy websites. These systems will be different from the province’s booking portal, set to launch on March 15, which will help organize appointments at mass immunization clinics.

Officials warned that once someone books an appointment using either the provincial or pharmacy systems, they will not be allowed to book another appointment elsewhere.

Select Rexall and Costco pharmacy locations opened registration for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment as of Wednesday.

The Ontario government also announced they are working with primary care professionals to offer vaccinations at some community locations such as doctors’ offices. The pilot initiative is expected to begin on Saturday in Hamilton, Toronto, Guelph, Peterborough, Simcoe-Muskoka and Peel Region.

Officials say that about 29,500 of the 194,500 AstraZeneca doses will be distributed to primary care providers.

“We're moving a step further where primary care professionals and family doctors will form clinics on their own mini mass vaccination clinics, if you will,” retired Gen. Rick Hillier, head of Ontario’s COVID-19 distribution efforts, said on Wednesday.

“They will continue to work as those teams that go out to populations that cannot come to vaccination sites, and they will continue to support the vaccination rollout in their public health unit.”

According to officials, primary care providers will not be taking appointments by request.

Primary care givers will instead be contacting eligible Ontarians within the 60 to 64 age group to book an appointment.

Here is a full list of all Toronto pharmacy locations:

North York

Toronto’s east end

Toronto’s west end

Etobicoke

Scarborough

Midtown Toronto

Downtown Toronto

A full list of pharmacies offering the shots across Ontario can be found here.