Dear Minister Elliot & Premier Ford,

We are asking you to reduce the eligibility interval for 2nd doses of CoVID-19 vaccines to 8 weeks for those Ontarians who received a 1st dose of AstraZeneca.

The Delta variant is proving to be extremely dangerous for Ontarians who have only received one dose of vaccine. Your government’s action could save the lives of countless Ontarians. Doctors​ agree this can be done safely.

Ontarians like me who took the AstraZeneca vaccine have already put their health on the line by signing up to receive a vaccine which we knew came with more risks. We took a risk getting vaccinated to protect both ourselves, and our communities from the spread of CoVID-19. It is not right or fair to ask us to now wait longer than many people who received mRNA vaccines to get their second dose. In some cases parents may receive their 2nd dose long after their children receive theirs.

Health Canada’s approved 2nd dose interval for the AstraZeneca vaccine is 4 to 12 weeks. Other jurisdictions including Quebec​, B.C.​, Alberta, and Manitoba have already moved the 2nd dose interval to 8 weeks or sooner. Ontario should do the same.

Sincerely,
Gareth Williams
Burlington, Ontario

References:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/astrazeneca-second-dose-quebec-eight-weeks-1.6042293​

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/gap-between-astrazeneca-doses-to-be-cut-to-eight-weeks-under-revised-plan-1.4583572​

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/dose-2#az​

https://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/docs/vaccine/COVID-19_AstraZeneca_Vaccine_admin.pdf