Background

  • On December 7, 2020, the province announced the key populations that will be first to receive the COVID‑19 vaccine, namely:
    • residents, employees and staff, and essential caregivers of congregate living settings that provide care for seniors
    • health care workers (including all those who work in health care settings and those in direct contact with patients)
    • adults in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit populations where infection can have disproportionate consequences, including those living in remote or isolated areas
    • adult recipients of chronic home health care
  • On December 9, 2020, Health Canada determined that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada.
  • Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada will closely monitor the safety of the vaccine once it is on the market and will not hesitate to take action if any safety concerns are identified.
  • The province has committed to distributing COVID‑19 vaccines to priority populations in the highest risk areas as soon as shipments are received from federal government suppliers, expected in the coming days.

Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination program

Phase 1

Vaccine quantity

Initial doses will vaccinate over 2,500 people, with additional shipments arriving over the coming weeks.

90,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and estimated 35,000-85,000 doses of Moderna vaccines (pending approval) are expected in the coming weeks.

An estimated total of over 2 million doses is expected in this phase.

Population to be vaccinated

  • residents, essential caregivers and staff of congregate care settings for seniors
  • health care workers
  • adults in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit populations
  • adult recipients of chronic home health care

Distribution sites

Initially, two pilot sites, followed by selected hospital sites in GreyLockdown and Red-Control zones, expanding to approximately 21 hospitals across the province.

Long-term care homes and retirement homes as soon as feasible.

Phase 2

Vaccine quantity

Increasing stock of vaccines available.

Population to be vaccinated

Expanded for health care workers, long-term care homes, retirement homes, home care patients with chronic conditions and additional First Nation communities and urban Indigenous populations, including Métis and Inuit adults.

Distribution sites

Expanded vaccination sites.

Phase 3

Vaccine quantity

Vaccines available for every Ontarian who wants to be immunized.

Population to be vaccinated

All eligible Ontarians.

Distribution sites

Widely available across Ontario.

Distribution, logistics and administration

Phased distribution plan

Phase 1 – key milestones

Pilot – week of December 14, 2020
  • Pfizer-BioNTech doses to vaccinate over 2,500 health care workers
  • Two pilot hospital sites, University Health Network and The Ottawa Hospital
  • Recipients: health care workers from long-term care, hospitals
Additional Pfizer-BioNTech doses expected
  • Expected to receive 90,000 doses in December 2020 to January 2021
  • 14 selected hospital sites in Grey-Lockdown and Red-Control zones
  • Recipients: health care workers in long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, additional congregate settings caring for seniors
Moderna vaccine doses expected (pending Health Canada approval)
  • Expected to receive 35,000 to 85,000 doses in December to January (planning estimates)
  • Expanded vaccinations to long-term care homes in Grey-Lockdown areas
  • Recipients: residents in long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, additional congregate settings caring for seniors
Early 2021
  • Expansion of up to 21 hospital sites providing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
    • Recipients: health care workers, and once forward movement authorized by Pfizer, long-term care home and retirement home residents
  • Expansion of the number of locations to administer the Moderna vaccine
    • Recipients: long-term care homes, retirement homes, public heath units, other congregate care settings, remote Indigenous communities