COVID-19: MLHU offering choice of Pfizer, Moderna vaccine at all its clinics

The Middlesex-London Health Unit said Thursday that anyone who visits any of its vaccine clinics will be able to choose between the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

However, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is currently the only COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada for children aged five to 11 years old.

The MLHU’s decision impacts all of the health unit’s mass vaccination clinics, as well as the pop-up vaccination clinics hosted by the Middlesex-London Paramedic Service and the Community Hub COVID-19 vaccination clinics in schools.

Since late December, the MLHU had been prioritizing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people age 29 and under and providing the Moderna vaccine to clients 30 and over, citing limited supply of the Pfizer vaccine.

2:10 Mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccine boosters proves effective: study

The health unit is hoping the ability to choose will help increase vaccine availability and uptake, noting that only 51.9 per cent of eligible residents aged 18 and older had received a third dose as of Jan. 31.

“The data continues to support the mixing of vaccines as a safe and effective approach to fighting COVID-19 which produces a strong immune response,” says acting medical officer of health Dr. Alex Summers.

“Regardless of the vaccine you received for your first or second dose, getting a booster shot as soon as you are eligible is the most important thing you can do to not only help move the community forward and out of this Omicron wave, but also get us closer to the end of the pandemic.”

The health unit said it continues to follow guidance and recommendations from the Ministry of Health, Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. The groups agree that vaccine interchangeability “remains a safe and effective approach to preventing COVID-19 infections,” the health unit said.

Walk-ins are welcome at all clinics, but appointments are still accepted and can be booked online. A list of pop-up vaccination clinic dates can be found on the health unit’s website.

— with files from Global News’ Sawyer Bogdan