What activities have taken place over the past few weeks?
- 54,711 first doses have been administered to HPEC residents and 4,001 individuals are now fully immunized (please note number of vaccines includes residents who may have received a vaccine from an out of area pharmacy).
- 7,766 doses have been administered in the past 7 days.
- 32% 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.
- Effective Thursday, April 29, 2021, child care workers in licensed child care settings will be eligible to book an appointment through the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line at 1-833-943-3900. Eligible workers in licensed child care settings will receive a letter from their employer. This letter must be available at the point of booking and taken to the vaccination appointment. In the coming weeks, eligibility will be expanded to child care workers in unlicensed child care settings across the province.
- Effective Friday April 30, 2021 all those 55 years of age or older will be eligible to book an appointment through the Provincial Booking Line at 1-833-943-3900.
- Continued efforts to ensure all those included in Phase 1 eligibility have the opportunity to get their vaccine.
- 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:
- Pregnancy
- 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
- Pharmacy appointments are also available for anyone aged 40 and older and registration with several different pharmacies is recommended. Locations of all pharmacies offering vaccines is available at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations.
- To ensure vaccine related information is easy to find, HPEPH has updated web content, now available on two separate web pages, Vaccine Safety and Availability, and Booking and Eligibility.
Who are the immediate and current priority for first-dose 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 and 55+ on April 30).
- 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
- Licensed child care workers
- Special education workers (in schools)
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.
- If you have received a first dose of the vaccine 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.
