What activities have taken place over the past few weeks?
- 68,691 doses have been administered and 4,745 individuals are now fully immunized (please note number of vaccines includes residents who may have received a vaccine from an out of area pharmacy).
- 5,692 doses have been administered in the past 7 days.
- 38% of adults in HPEC have received at least one dose.
- Community clinics are continuing in Belleville, Quinte West, Picton, Madoc Township and Bancroft. Beginning Thursday May 13, individuals aged 40 or older will be eligible to 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.
- Group 1 and Group 2 of the Essential Workers Who Cannot Work from Home are now eligible to book an appointment through the provincial booking site Ontario.ca/bookvaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900. Please note that eligibility does not necessarily mean appointments will be available to book, as HPEPH can only schedule appointments for the vaccine we are allotted. Please check the booking website often as more appointment times are being added regularly.
- High-risk health care workers, as well as Indigenous adults and household members, are now eligible to receive a second dose at a shortened interval.
- On May 11, the province announced a pause in the rollout and administration of first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution due to an observed increase in the rare blood clotting condition, known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
- Data from the UK points to a much-reduced risk of VITT in second doses of AstraZeneca, and we look forward to receiving direction from the province regarding individuals waiting for their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
- Those who received their first dose with the AstraZeneca vaccine did absolutely the right thing to prevent illness, and to protect their families, loved ones and communities.
- We look forward to receiving more information from the province about vaccination opportunities at local pharmacies.
- HPEPH is continuing efforts to ensure all those included in Phase 1 eligibility have the opportunity to get their vaccine. Certain groups have received invitations from us to attend special ‘catch-up clinics’ running in May
- Individuals are encouraged to take advantage of the earliest possible opportunity to get vaccinated.
Who is currently eligible for first-dose vaccination?
- Individuals 50 years of age or older (moving to 40 and older beginning May 13)
- Health care or personal support workers
- People who cannot work from home (Group 1)
- People who cannot work from home (Group 2)
- All childcare workers (both licensed and independent)
- Education workers (including special education)
- Residents and staff in care homes and group living settings (including essential caregivers)
- People with highest-risk health conditions and their caregivers (for example, pregnancy, organ transplant, multiple sclerosis)
- People with high-risk health conditions and their caregivers (for example, BMI of over 40, chemotherapy, Down syndrome)
- People with at-risk health conditions (for example, autoimmune disorders, heart disease, diabetes)
- First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals, including members of their household
- Chronic home health care recipients
What about second doses for those who have received a first dose already?
- Most people will receive their second dose approximately 16 weeks after the first.
- The following groups qualify for shortened second dose intervals:
- Residents of LTC and Retirement Homes
- Hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients
- Organ transplant recipients
- Stable, active treatment* for malignant hematologic disorders and nonhematologic malignant solid tumor
- Dialysis patients
- Indigenous adults and their household members
* High-risk health care workers will be able to book an appointment starting as early as May 14 and HPEPH is working to establish a plan to complete these second doses as soon as possible, while ensuring that already-scheduled first dose appointments are respected.
What are the next steps in Phase 2 Roll Out?
- As early as the week of May 17 – People aged 30 and older
- As early as the week of May 24 – People aged 18 and older
- Planning underway for ages 12-17 years of age, with a target of June for eligibility
