News

Community Vaccine Update: June 9, 2021

Vaccine doses administered so far: 68,138

Number of people completely vaccinated: 10,466

Status updates:

• To date, the HNHU and its partners have administered over 68,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine; 7,000 of which were administered in the last 7 days.
• Approximately 9,500 second doses have been administered locally (4,000 in the past week). Over 11% of the local population is now fully vaccinated.
• According to the province, approximately 68% of residents in Haldimand and Norfolk have received at least one dose of vaccine. This figure takes into account individuals who received doses outside of the health district (e.g. they may work in another region or be an essential caregiver elsewhere).
• The Health Unit is transitioning to a new mass immunization clinic model that will see increased daily vaccine appointments of between 1200-2000 per clinic, up from 500-600. The new model was launched on June 1, 2021 at the Cayuga Arena Clinic, and has been a great success. Across the Counties over 2000 doses were administered on ONE DAY – Saturday June 5th – setting a new daily record.
• Clinics continue to run at capacity, and appointments are being added as vaccine supply is received from the province. The HNHU continues to lobby and advocate for more doses to expedite local rollout. All residents are encouraged to take the first appointment available, regardless of location.

First dose booking information:

• All eligible individuals are encouraged to book online using the provincial tool. Individuals who need assistance booking may contact the provincial call centre at 1-833-943-3900. Individuals unable to book an appointment for their first dose are encouraged to add their names to the waitlist at hnhu.org/vaccine-waitlist.
• 15 local pharmacies are now administering Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Residents can look up participating pharmacies and booking options using the province’s lookup tool: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations.

• Dedicated clinics for youth 12-17 and their households are being held the weeks of June 14 and June 21. Appointments at these youth & family clinics may be booked by calling the provincial call centre at 1-833-943-3900. Youth aged 12-17 can ONLY receive Pfizer.At the time of first dose booking, a second dose appointment will be generated for youth (during the month of August), with the aim of having all students fully vaccinated by the time they return to school.

 

Second dose booking information:

• The province is accelerating second doses for all Ontarians. Currently, residents 70+ and  individuals who received a first dose prior to April 18, 2021 who would like to move up their second doses may now do so using the provincial booking tool or HNHU form.
• The Health Unit is still contacting individuals to schedule second dose appointments on a ‘first in, first out’ basis (e.g. individuals who received a first dose in March will get their second dose before those who had their first shot in April).If you or a loved one is eligible for a second dose but has not received a call, booking independently through the provincial booking tool or provincial call centre (1-833-943-3900) is strongly encouraged.
• If no appointments are available, eligible individuals may add their names to the second dose waitlist at www.hnhu.org/second-dose-waitlist.

Other program updates:

• mRNA vaccine mixing is now approved in Ontario. The Province and the Health Unit continue to recommend the same brand for second dose as the first, unless the brand is unavailable (i.e. due to low supply).
• Local pharmacies are expecting to receive a small allocation of AstraZeneca from the province in mid-June. Residents who received AZ at a participating local pharmacy will be able to make an informed decision whether to take AZ or mRNA as second dose.
• Individuals who are unable to access a vaccination clinic due to transportation barriers are reminded that they may contact [email protected] to request assistance.
• The Heath Unit is seeking community volunteers to assist at the mass vaccination clinic site at the Cayuga Arena. Applicants must be 18+ and willing to volunteer on an ongoing basis from June to the end of September. To learn more and apply, visit https://hnhu.org/vax-volunteer.