Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/June 25, 2021 – Hastings and Prince Edward Counties youth aged 12 to 17 who have not yet received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine are invited to walk-in appointments at the Bancroft Legion, Loyalist College, and Prince Edward Community Centre vaccination sites, beginning June 28, 2021. Please note that at this time, walk-in appointments are only available to individuals aged 12-17, in order to support the provincial commitment to ensure eligible students are fully vaccinated by the end of the summer.

For clinic dates and times when walk-in appointments will be accepted, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca/vaccine-booking/ and follow HPEPH on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Eligible youth will receive the Pfizer vaccine, as this is currently the only COVID-19 vaccine that has been authorized by Health Canada for use in individuals aged 12 to 17. To get the vaccine, youth do not need a health card but will need to provide informed consent. This means that they have read and understand information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Getting vaccinated now will ensure optimal protection when the province reopens and there is a return to in-person learning,” said Dr. Piotr Oglaza, Medical Officer of Health and CEO at HPEPH.  “Getting vaccinated is the best thing you can do to protect yourself – and those around you from serious illness related to COVID-19. Getting your first dose now means you will be fully vaccinated by the end of the summer, and you can safely get back to the things you miss like team sports, in-person learning, concerts, and larger social gatherings.”

HPEPH recognizes that youth and their caregivers may have questions about the vaccine – including how it works, how it was developed so quickly, and potential side effects. Families can be reassured that:

• The COVID-19 vaccine has been thoroughly tested, and is safe. Vaccines are tested through rigorous clinical trials where thousands of people receive the vaccine, and the effectiveness of the vaccine, as well as any adverse effects, are reported. Health Canada reviews data from these clinical trials and determines if the benefits of the vaccines outweigh any potential risks. mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have gone through this process and have been authorized for use by Health Canada. Because of the pandemic, countries and scientists have been working very closely together to make COVID-19 vaccines a top priority. This has made it possible to develop safe and effective vaccines in record time.
  
• Getting fully vaccinated as soon as possible is your best protection against COVID-19. Getting vaccinated will help protect you – and those you love – from serious illness, hospitalization, and even death related to COVID-19. The vaccine helps your body develop the antibodies it needs to fight COVID-19. This means your immune system learns how to respond to the virus without actually being exposed to it, which results in strong protection. If you’re ever exposed to the COVID-19 virus, being vaccinated will allow your immune system to fight the virus faster and more efficiently so that you’re less likely to get sick.

• By getting vaccinated, you can do your part to help end the pandemic. It is critical to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, not only to protect yourself, but to keep your family and friends safe. Getting vaccinated is essential to help improve community immunity and end the pandemic. Unless we all get fully vaccinated as soon as possible – we risk the further spread of variants of COVID-19, and will see an increase in case numbers, serious illness, and deaths both locally and across the province. The sooner that all of us get fully vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to the people, places, and things that we love and miss.

Families are encouraged to make informed decisions about vaccination by reviewing evidence-based information that has been verified by experts. Ontario’s Children’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Table has a website kidshealthfirst.ca which offers resources for parents, youth, and health care/social service providers. Other evidence-based resources include:

• COVID-19 Vaccine for Youth – 10 Things You Should Know
• Attending Your Appointment – What You Need to Know
• COVID-19 Vaccine Information for Youth
• COVID-19 Vaccine Consent form for Youth
• covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-youth.

Additional information about vaccine safety, potential side effects, and building immunity is available at hpepublichealth.ca/covid-19-vaccines/ If you still have questions about the vaccine after reviewing this information, please talk to your primary care provider.

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Media Contacts:

Emily Tubbs, Communications Specialist
etubbs@hpeph.ca

Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
mhyland@hpeph.ca