TORONTO -- The Ontario government is expected on Tuesday to lower the age threshold to get an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination from 55 to 40.
Multiple media outlets have reported a ministry spokesperson has confirmed the decision.
“I can confirm that based on current supply, Ontario will begin offering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to individuals aged 40 and over at pharmacy and primary care settings across the province effective Tuesday,” the ministry spokesperson said in a statement, published by CP24.
The decision comes just hours after federal Health Minister Patty Hadju said Canadian provinces have the go-ahead to expand the AstraZeneca roll-out.
"Provinces and territories are free to use AstraZeneca in any population over 18 per Health Canada's license for use in Canada," Hajdu told reporters on Sunday, as reported by CBC.
"There's nothing stopping the province of Ontario from changing their advice for use within Ontario."
Ontario recently opened AstraZeneca doses to anyone aged 55 to 64, through pharmacies and health-care providers. Four pharmacies in Thunder Bay at present are taking part in the program.
The current age range lines up with recommendations made by the National Advisory Council on Immunization.
According to a CTV report from Thursday, Ontario had about half-a-million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine it had yet ot administer.
Canada recently borrowed 1.5 million doses of the vaccine from the United States, which paused approval of the vaccine because of reports of some recipients developing severe blood clots. It's estimated blood clots affect between one in 100,000 people and one in 250,000 people.
