New mass vaccination clinics as Hamilton prepares for kids COVID shot
Hamilton is opening two more mass vaccination clinics to keep up with demand for boosters and prepare for the imminent approval of a COVID shot for kids.
Once the pediatric vaccine is approved, two-thirds of appointments will be reserved for kids age five to 11. The rest will mostly go to boosters for priority groups, including seniors age 70 and older.
Those age 12 and over needing first and second doses will continue to be able to walk into most clinics without an appointment.
Hamilton is limping toward the goal of getting 90 per cent of eligible residents fully vaccinated.
Three Ontario public health departments have already met or surpassed that mark - the Region of Waterloo, Thunder Bay District, and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District. A number of others were close including Halton at 89 per cent Tuesday.
Hamilton has among Ontario's lowest vaccine coverage at about 83 per cent, with focus still on the last-mile strategy of bringing the shot to neighbourhoods that need it most.
The city is running two mobile clinics a day with both evening and daytime hours. On weekends, it's only during the day.
The clinics are primarily in recreation centres, libraries and health clinics where there has been high uptake in the past.
Nevertheless, vaccination numbers have been steadily declining to 3,786 doses for the week that ended Nov. 12 from 4,926 for the week that ended Oct. 29.
However, demand is expected to increase significantly once kids become eligible in the coming weeks.
In addition, several groups already qualify for boosters - including those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, older adults in congregate settings, health-care workers, essential caregivers, Indigenous adults, those who got the AstraZeneca or Janssen vaccine, and seniors age 70 and older.
As a result, the city has planned three mass vaccination clinics.
The Centre on Barton is expected to open this week at 1275 Barton St. E. between Kenilworth Avenue North and Ottawa Street North.
A health-care worker only clinic has already started at Hamilton Health Sciences' West End Clinic at 690 Main St. W.
The Mountain Vaccine Clinic opened the first week of November at CF Lime Ridge with hours rotating between day and evening.
There are also two fixed-site clinics run by primary care - the David Braley Health Sciences Centre Vaccine Clinic at 100 Main St. W. and Winterberry Family Medicine on the east Mountain. In addition, dozens of pharmacies administer COVID shots.
School vaccination rates provided for the first time by public health on Monday show a vast divide in Hamilton. As few as 18 per cent of eligible students are vaccinated in some schools compared to nearly 89 per cent in others.
Much of the difference is due to religion, location or socioeconomic factors.
The numbers - a full searchable list is on the TheSpec.com - show Hamilton has only 20 of 154 schools with 80 per cent or more of their eligible students vaccinated.
As a result, the city has started to run school clinics again, but only had five scheduled between Nov. 16 and Dec. 14. All were public high schools with lower vaccine coverage - but not the worst rates in the city. The clinics run both during school hours and in the evening.
Glendale in Stoney Creek had 67.2 per cent of eligible students vaccinated as of Oct. 25. Its clinic was Tuesday.
Nora Frances Henderson on the east Mountain had 64.3 per cent vaccine coverage. The clinic is on Nov. 23.
Sir Allan MacNab on the west Mountain had a 67.1 per cent vaccination rate. The clinic takes place Nov. 30.
Sir Winston Churchill in east Hamilton had 61.1 per cent of eligible students vaccinated. The clinic is Dec. 7.
Bernie Custis Secondary School in east Hamilton has just 56.2 per cent coverage. The clinic is Dec. 14.
Vaccination is key to reaching a point where Hamilton learns to live with the virus, stressed medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson.
It's not a virus that's going away," she told the board of health Monday. I think we are going to continue to figure out how to live with COVID-19."
Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com