‘Our phones are ringing off the hook’: Booster interest increases after eligibility expands 

A Windsor-Essex pharmacist is applauding the provincial government for expanding eligibility of COVID-19 boosters to allow adults 18 and older to get a fourth dose if they wish.

Tim Brady, chairman of the Ontario Pharmacists Association and owner of Brady’s Drugstore, said residents have been inquiring regularly with concern about another wave of COVID-19.

“Since the announcement like under an hour ago, our phones are ringing off the hook,” Brady said.

“We've had a lot of people. There's a lot of pent-up anxiety. People are concerned there is an increase in the seventh wave.”

Dr. Kieran Moore made the announcement late Wednesday morning, saying that individuals 18 and older can book an appointment using the provincial system as of 8 a.m. on July 14.

Brady told CTV News that pharmacies in the region could handle administering “thousands” of shots daily if necessary explaining the main goal is to keep people out of hospital.

“Pharmacies have done over seven and a half million shots in the province so far of just COVID which is astronomical,” Brady continued. “So I think we'll just continue on and at some point, we'll be talking about 10 million I think.”

In a statement to CTV News, the Windsor-Essex County Health unit said it continues to encourage residents to stay up to date on doses they are eligible to receive.

“Being ‘up to date’ varies based on an individual’s age and health status,” the email statement reads. “If an individual has questions around their appropriateness and eligibility for a booster dose, they are encouraged to speak with their health care provider or Telehealth Ontario.”

Officials said local vaccine distribution will continue through the already existing channels and that Windsor-Essex residents can access COVID-19 vaccines through participating pharmacies and health care providers, as well as through the public health clinics and various community pop-up clinics throughout the local municipalities.

Chatham-Kent Public Health said additional pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinics would be added in light of the recent announcement from the Ontario Ministry of Health about expanding eligibility for second booster doses to Ontarians 18 and older.

“Realize that this is coming down to a lot of pharmacies that last minute also,” Brady added. “So it may take about a week for us to get our stockpiles into, obviously, there's going to be an increase in demand. But we want to make sure we get people through in a timely manner so that we can get those that are most susceptible.”