Eleven lower city pharmacies in Hamilton have been added to the list of locations residents aged 55 and older can book an appointment to get the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, as of this week.
The drug stores joined 21 other locations in the city that had been initially selected by the province for the rollout announced at the beginning of April.
However, the government says not all of the pharmacies will start vaccinating at the same time the week of April 12.
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Ontario expands AstraZeneca vaccine program to pharmacies across the province
Last week, about a half dozen Hamilton politicians have expressed their outrage at Ontario’s decision to exclude much of lower Hamilton in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in pharmacies, calling the decision “reckless.”
Donna Skelly, Conservative MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook, responded to the accusations saying the initial rollout was just the start, and that more locations, including those in the lower city, would gradually expanding to a list of about 69 Hamilton pharmacies by the end of the month.
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“We will eventually see, I think pretty much all Shoppers Drug Marts in Ontario.” Skelly told Global News.
“Our objective with the AstraZeneca vaccine program is to get every pharmacy that’s interested and has participated in the previous flu vaccine programs, give them the ability to add the product to vaccinate anyone who is 65.”
Read more:
Hamilton leaders outraged lower city excluded from province’s vaccine rollout in pharmacies
There are now over 1,400 pharmacies that offer the vaccine, with the province expecting to add another 100 by the end of April.
