WECHU Release: Adults 75 And Older Can Book an Appointment for a COVID-19 Vaccine Starting Tuesday

Participating pharmacies in the provincial pilot program to vaccinate adults 60 years of age and older starting today.

On Friday, the Ontario government announced individuals born in 1946 and earlier will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine effective Monday, March 22. The current four local vaccination clinics will be prepared to welcome newly eligible seniors once they have booked an appointment through the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU)’s online booking system that will be launched on Tuesday, March 23 along with call center support.

As of Tuesday, adults 75 years and older in 2021 will be able to register to book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at either:

  • The Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU) Centre clinic in Windsor,
  • The Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre (NFFRC) clinic in Leamington,
  • The St. Clair College SportsPlex in Windsor, or
  • Windsor Hall (former Windsor Star building).

Vaccination clinics are by appointment only and walk-ins are not permitted. On Tuesday, all COVID-19 vaccination appointments at targeted or mass vaccination clinics will be done through a single dedicated online booking system. Locally, we will not be moving to the provincial online booking system at this time.

Since Thursday, February 25, the WECHU has had an online pre-registration form available for residents 80 years and older. The pre-registration form for adults 80 years of age and older closed on Saturday and residents are asked to use the new online booking system starting Tuesday.

For adults 80 years of age and older, there is no need to pre-register again, unless you have not done so already. Next week, public health and Windsor Regional Hospital will be vaccinating adults 80 years of age and older. We want to assure those who have pre-registered that they will be called to book an appointment.

Friday, the Province of Ontario also announced that effective Monday, March 22, eligibility for the AstraZeneca vaccine will be expanded to include adults 60 years of age and older. It was previously for adults 60 to 64. Those interested in booking an appointment at any of the 57 Windsor and Essex County pharmacies as part of the provincial pilot program should contact a participating pharmacy directly. This new direction from the Ontario government is in alignment with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) March 16 recommendation and Ontario's Ethical Framework.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) would like to remind residents that the province of Ontario is delaying the administration of the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine following the guidance of NACI. The WECHU has contacted all residents of Windsor and Essex County with a second dose appointment booked after March 11, 2021 to cancel their appointment. The WECHU will notify those who have received their first dose of the vaccine when they are eligible to book an appointment for their second dose. There is no need to contact the WECHU at this time about a second dose appointment.

As more COVID-19 vaccines are provided to our region and more vaccination clinics and sites become operational, we must continue to practice public health measures to help prevent further spread of COVID-19 in our community:

  • Maintain a 2 metre distance from others.
  • Limit your contacts to your household only.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly and often.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Use a medical or non-medical mask (e.g, cloth) in public settings.
  • Cover mouth & nose with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze.
  • Stay home and do not go to work or school if you are sick. 

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, please visit the WECHU’s vaccine webpage or subscribe to receive email updates from the Windsor Essex County Health Unit about COVID-19 vaccines.