What activities have taken place over the past few weeks?
- Unfortunately, due to unanticipated shortages in local vaccine supply due to reallocation to hot spots and supply chain delays, the following HPEPH community vaccination clinics are unable to take place: April 26 in Belleville & Trenton, April 29 in Picton, and April 30 in Belleville. All individuals who had appointments at these clinics have been provided with an email or phone call from HPEPH with clear instruction about rescheduling their appointment. Residents are reassured that they will not miss the opportunity to receive the vaccine. HPEPH is committed to offering clinics throughout the region until vaccine has been made available to everyone who is interested.
- 49,743 doses have been administered to residents of HPE and 3865 individuals are now fully immunized (please note number of vaccines includes residents who may have received a vaccine from an out of area pharmacy).
- 30% of our population has received at least one dose.
- Age-based community clinics for those 60 years of age and older are continuing in Belleville, Quinte West, Picton, Madoc Township and Bancroft. Individuals aged 60 or older can book through the provincial booking site at ontario.ca/bookvaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900. If no clinics are available (greyed out on calendar) please check back regularly.
- People with certain highest risk health conditions (and one of their caregivers) are also eligible to book a vaccine by calling 1-833-943-3900. The eligible conditions include:
- Hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients
- Organ transplant recipients
- Stable, active treatment for malignant hematologic disorders and nonhematologic malignant solid tumor (Applicable treatment for malignancy includes chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy. It excludes individuals receiving solely hormonal therapy or radiation therapy. At present, the provincial guidance does not cover individuals with other immunocompromising conditions and other treatments causing immunosuppression)
- Pregnancy*
- Anyone aged 40 and older is now eligible for vaccination at local pharmacies. Registration with several different pharmacies is recommended. Locations of all pharmacies offering vaccines is available at covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations.
- Beginning Monday April 26, HPEPH is launching a Standby List to ensure all last minute appointment vacancies continue to be filled with highest priority groups.
- To ensure vaccine related information is easy to find, HPEPH has updated web content, now available on three separate web pages, Vaccine Safety and Availability, Booking and Eligibility, and Vaccine Standby List.
*Effective April 23, 2021, the province has added pregnancy to the list of highest risk health conditions. Individuals with highest risk health conditions can book directly through the provincial call centre at 1-888-999-6488. It is recommended (but not required) that those who are pregnant discuss COVID-19 vaccination with their health care provider prior to booking an appointment. Individuals with highest risk health conditions who are unable to secure an appointment are invited to use the standby list.
Who are the current priority for vaccination?
- Residents, staff and essential caregivers in long term care homes, high-risk retirement homes and First Nations elder care homes
- Residents, staff and essential caregivers in all retirement homes
- Highest Priority, Very High Priority, and High Priority health care workers in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s guidance on Health Care Worker Prioritization
- Residents 60 years of age or older (40+ at pharmacies)
- Alternative level of care patients in hospitals who have a confirmed admission to a long-term care home, retirement home or other congregate care home for seniors
- Indigenous adults in northern remote and higher risk communities (including on-reserve and urban communities).
- Chronic recipients of home care
- Faith leaders and funeral workers that have direct contact with the ill, dying or deceased
- Special education workers (in schools)
- People with highest risk health conditions
What are the next steps in the local Vaccine Roll Out?
During Phase Two, groups eligible to receive the vaccine will include:
- Black and other Racialized Populations
- Essential Frontline Workers who cannot work from home as outlined by the Province
- Education and/or child care sector employee (e.g. school or daycare staff, educator, bus driver, etc.)
- People that live and work in high-risk congregate settings (e.g. residential facilities, supported living and special care homes, correctional facilities, shelters, and farm workers living in congregate settings)
- People with certain High-risk Chronic Conditions as outlined by the Province
We have begun pre-registration for these groups as well as continuing to register groups eligible in Phase 1 that do not have a first appointment date as of yet. Please submit your information through our pre-registration form.
What about second doses for those who have received a first dose already?
- Ontario has accepted recommendations from NACI (National Advisory Council on Immunization) to extend the vaccination dose interval up to four months for all Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccines.
- This means that a strong and sustained level of protection from the virus will be established throughout the province as quickly as possible.
- If you have received a first dose of the vaccine through an HPEPH clinic and do not have a second appointment, you will be contacted by HPEPH to book your second dose appointment. If you would like additional reassurance that you will be contacted when it is time to book your second dose appointment, please complete our pre-registration form for second dose appointments. Please do NOT call HPEPH or your health care provider to book your second dose appointment. You will be contacted to book your second dose at the appropriate time.
