57 pharmacies in Windsor-Essex to distribute COVID-19 vaccines to people aged 60 to 64

Nearly five dozen pharmacies in Windsor-Essex will start booking COVID-19 vaccine appointments for peoplebetween the ages of 60 and 64 by the end of the week.

Across the region, 57 pharmacies 33 in Windsor and 24 in Essex County will start takingappointments as of Friday to administer theAstrazeneca vaccine. Costco and Rexall have already set up their websitesfor people to join await-list.Windsor-Essex is one of three public health units in the province participating in a pilot program to use pharmacies to administer 194,500 doses of the vaccine.

Here'swhere you can find a list of the places locally, as well as those inToronto and Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington public health regions.

Windsor's Medica Pharmacyis one of the approved sites under the provincial pilot.

Owner and pharmacist Francesco Vellatold CBC News Wednesday that he's expecting to receive 500 doses of the vaccine by Thursday or Friday and hasspent the last fewdays preparing for the vaccine to arrive.

"[There's] excitement with trying to get this pandemic behind us ... as fast as possible," Vella said.

WATCH: Medica Pharmacy talks about their plans to vaccinate

Medica Pharmacy is one of 57 pharmacies taking part in the vaccine pilot program in Windsor-Essex

4 years ago

Duration 1:23

Owner and pharmacist Francesco Vella talks about what it's been like to prepare.

The preparation for this week includedfiguring out all the logistics, such as a staffingschedule, the process of administering the shots and securing enough personal protective equipment.

He said just receiving the vaccines themselves is a process that he needs to prepare for, including monitoring the storage of the vaccines at a particular temperature.

"It's not a matter of receiving a box, unwrapping a boxand away you go," he said."Everyone's working as fast as they can, we have the guidance that we need."

Vella added that the only thing he's wondering about is whether his staff can accommodate people who can't leave their homes.

If there's people stuck at home who can't get to the vaccine, he said he's more than willing to go to them but is waiting to hear if that's something the ministry will allow.

Depending on when the vaccine arrives, Vella said he is planning a "vaccination blitz" to "get as many shots into patients arms as possible."

"To the people in Windsor-Essexbe patient, know that the pharmacies have already rolled out a plan like this before with the flu shots we will get to all of our patients and we will make sure that the shots get in to your arms."