No appointments needed, no waiting at Oxford-Elgin clinics
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Southwestern Public Health continues to encourage people ages 12 to 40 to get their COVID-19 vaccinations.
As of Aug. 11, 78 per cent of the active COVID-19 cases in Oxford and Elgin counties were people under the age of 40.
“This is the age group with the lowest rate of vaccination and that’s why subsequently the highest percentage of cases,” said medical officer of health Dr. Joyce Lock during a conference call.
“These cases are quite evenly spread between Elgin-St. Thomas and Oxford County and they are occurring slightly more in males than females.”
Twelve new weekend COVID-19 cases were announced Monday in the region, which has 28 active cases in total. Tillsonburg had two cases, Woodstock seven, St. Thomas eight, and Aylmer six.
“The rise of cases that we’re seeing in our region is also happening across the province,” Lock noted.
“As we look into the fall and we look to the beginning of the new school year, I emphasize the importance of creating a protective ring around our children. So this is really important – we have almost 30,000 people in our region who are under the age of 12 and who can’t be vaccinated due to their age. So the best way for us to have a safe school year is for the older siblings and parents and extended family, and all the rest of us, to get vaccinated so that children themselves are less likely to be infected.”
At least 80 per cent of those 12-and-older need at least one dose of vaccine, and 75 per cent need to have their second dose to move past Step 3 of the province’s latest re-opening.
As of Monday, 81.5 per cent of the 12-and-older population in Ontario had one dose, and 73.5 per cent two doses. In Oxford-Elgin, 80.4 per cent had one dose and 70.7 per cent two doses.
“So just a reminder to everybody that these vaccines work, they are protective, they do decrease your risk of ending up in the intensive care unit, they decrease your risk of death, and please take advantage of living in our wonderful province that is a world leader in its immunization strategy right now. We’ve got the vaccine, let’s use them, let’s protect ourselves, protect our vulnerable and let’s get to the next step of opening up our society.”
Only 50.1 per cent of the region’s 20-29 year olds have had two doses so far.
The vaccine eligibility page of the Southwestern Public Health website lists upcoming pop-up clinics in the region, including Woodstock, Port Burwell, Embro, Thamesford, Ingersoll, Tavistock, Springfield and Aylmer.
“There are no appointments needed and… no wait times. So just show up and you’ll be in and out and you’ll get your vaccine.”
The St. Thomas and Woodstock mass immunization clinics are also accepting walk-ins.
The vaccination clinic in Tillsonburg will be open on Fridays until the end of the month.
“Remember we’re going to close it at the end of August in Tillsonburg.”
You can also organize a workplace vaccination clinic by calling the health unit.
“Call us if you know someone who is homebound who wants to be vaccinated and can’t get out to see us. We will go see them.”
It is also possible to be vaccinated in your car if it is difficult to visit a large clinic.
“We’ll come out of the building and meet you in your car.”
Some primary care physician offices are also administering vaccine.
“Please remember your local pharmacist is also an excellent source of information about COVID vaccine, side effects, risks, and other general questions about vaccinations.”
The province’s website (covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccination-locations) shows that as of Monday Tillsonburg’s five pharmacies are still administering for first or second doses of vaccine – Coward Pharmacy (Moderna 18-or-older), Shoppers Drug Mart (Pfizer 12-or-older), Tillsonburg Pharmacy Care (Moderna 18-or-older), Tillsonburg Remedy’s Rx (Moderna 18-or-older) and Walmart Pharmacy (Moderna 18-or-older). Pharmacies that offer Moderna also have AstraZeneca for second doses.
“It varies from pharmacy to pharmacy so I suggest that people check with their local pharmacies to see where they’re at (if they are still offering vaccinations),” said Dr. Lock.
“Some pharmacies have been challenged… so have been finding it a little bit too onerous to keep up the vaccination program. Many other pharmacies are continuing to supply vaccine and the province is still very interested in engaging and keeping pharmacists as a partner in this rollout, as are we. So we continue to try and support pharmacies as best we can. I know the pharmacies themselves are networking together to see how they can work together more effectively to be sure that at least every community has a pharmacy that’s available to them, if not every single pharmacy.”
Pharmacies also play a significant role in the fall rolling out the influenza vaccine, she noted.
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