39-year-olds in Ontario can get AstraZeneca vaccine now if they turn 40 this year

If you're 39-year-old turning 40 this year, you won't have to wait until your birthday to receive the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine.

The Ontario government lowered the age of eligibility for that vaccine for those "40 years old or older in 2021," according to the government website. Inoculations began at select pharmacies across the province on Tuesday.

Kitchener resident Dennis Smith, who turns 40 on Dec. 3, took time on Monday to book an appointment at a big-boxpharmacy in Waterloo on Tuesday only to have it cancelled two hours before he was set to go in because he was told he didn't meet the age requirement.The pharmacy later apologized for the cancellationand rebooked him.

Smith said his cancelled appointment was possibly the result of a miscommunication between the ministry and pharmacies and hopes there will be better communication of information moving forward.

"The thing that makes it especially irritatingis this is, I believe, the third time that they've had different age-range-based cut off for vaccinations, so they should have by now had standardized wording where they would be substituting a date or year and no one should be confused by this by this point," he said.

Notice sent to pharmacies

The Ministry of Healthsaid a notice was sent out to pharmacies on Monday with updated information aboutpatient and pharmacy eligibility.

In it, it saidthat "the patients eligible for publicly funded pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination administration are those aged 40 years and older at the time of vaccination or any time in 2021."

Meanwhile, the region's medical officer of health, who received her AstraZeneca vaccine on Tuesday, is encouraging those eligible to get vaccinated.

"If you're 40 or older, I strongly encourage you to book an appointment to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. While we are in the midst of a very serious third wave with profound impacts on our community and our health care system at risk, we are fortunate to have a good supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine at the moment and the opportunity to vaccinate even more residents who are now eligible to get it," she Dr. Hsui-Li Wang in an email.

A list of participating pharmacies can be found here.