Adults who live in COVID-19 hot spots will be eligible to book their vaccine appointments using the provincial system starting Monday morning, regardless of age.
Residents of 114 specific postal codes designated as hot spots will be able to book online, including those living within an area with the N2C postal code, which covers several neighbourhoods in southeast Kitchener.
The expansion also includes people living in the Columbia/Lakeshore neighbourhood in Waterloo, and Shades Mills in Cambridge.
The expansion is being called a good strategy by a University of Waterloo assistant professor.
"One aspect here is that the younger age group is more involved with essential jobs," said Zahid Butt with UW's School of Public Health and Health Systems.
He also pointed out the presence of variants, and how young adults are more mobile in having to go to these essential places of work, including those working on the front lines.
Butt also noted how more younger people are being treated in hospitals and ICU's after becoming infected with the virus.
He said the strategy will help save a lot of people from getting the virus in these hotspots, as well as lower the number of hospitalizations and deaths.
Butt also commented on the ramping up of vaccines being delivered to Ontario, which Health Minister Christine Elliott credited as the reason behind the expansion.
He said it's a good sign to get more vaccines into local arms.
Waterloo Region's COVID-19 vaccine dashboard is expected to surpass 200,000 innoculations when it is refreshed Monday afternoon.
As of Friday, 39.24 per cent of adults have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine.
In addition, 2.76 per cent of the region's overall population is fully vaccinated.
