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home / 世界杯决赛2022

health unit prepared to roll out covid booster shots to newly eligible groups

starting on saturday, third doses of covid-19 vaccines will be available to anyone older than 70 who received their second dose at least six months ago as well as a few other population groups.

by taylor campbell

nov 4 2021
read time 4 minute read
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top local health officials say they’re ready to get more covid-19 vaccines in arms as the province announces additional groups will be eligible for boosters shots.
ontario’s chief medical officer of health dr. kieran moore on wednesday identified more populations considered at high-risk of experiencing severe health outcomes if they catch covid-19 who can receive a third vaccine dose. they include individuals aged 70 and older, people who received two doses of the astrazeneca or jenssen vaccines which offered less protection than mrna vaccines, indigenous individuals and their household members, and health-care workers and essential caregivers in long-term care and retirement homes and other congregate living settings.
booster doses are being offered to those groups “based on evidence of gradual waning immunity six months after receiving their second dose and a higher risk of severe illness from covid-19,” a statement from the province said. individuals must wait until at least six months have passed since their second dose to receive a third.
nicole dupuis, ceo of the windsor-essex county health unit, said her team would continue to work with community partners to get the message out and encourage newly-eligible individuals to roll up their sleeves for a third time. locally, eligible people could start booking appointments for third doses on wednesday afternoon.
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“we’re ready. it’s a bit of a ramp-up, but we’re definitely ready,” dupuis said.
the devonshire mall mass vaccination site run by windsor regional hospital, pharmacies, and primary care providers will be involved in the ongoing rollout, as will erie shores healthcare and essex-windsor ems.
third doses have already been administered locally to 5,218 people considered at high risk of severe covid-19 complications who became eligible in september. that includes individuals actively receiving cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients, those with moderate to severe immunodeficiencies, recipients of certain immunosuppressive therapies, residents of long-term care and retirement homes, and more.
“people who have already received two doses have very significant protection from covid-19,” said acting medical officer of health dr. shanker nesathurai. “we also recognize that the third dose will provide an additional layer of protection.”
public health units have also been asked to make plans to vaccinate the five to 11 age group in anticipation of health canada’s pending approval of diluted pfizer vaccine for use on younger kids. dupuis said the health unit and its partners are ready to go if and when that announcement comes.
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the health unit’s main challenge continues to be reaching unvaccinated people who are eligible for their first jab, of which there are about 55,000 in windsor-essex.
“it’s still a lot of people,” nesathurai said.
“it’s a challenge, and that’s something we have to put our public health energies on, to try to reach the unvaccinated and try to get those people who are eligible for vaccines but have yet to receive the vaccine to get vaccinated.”
the region’s vaccination coverage rate lags behind when compared to others in ontario, placing in the bottom third. as of wednesday morning, 81.6 per cent of area residents ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated. another 4.2 per cent have received only one dose.
previously, the local health unit partnered with area municipalities to put out calls to the few thousand people who had received their first dose to remind them they were now eligible for a second.
more recently, the health unit worked with the province to identify unvaccinated people who are eligible for their first shot and put out calls to remind them.
local pandemic data from the last month or so shows unvaccinated individuals are nearly six times more likely to contract covid-19 than fully vaccinated people.

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third covid-19 vaccine doses will be available by appointment only at the devonshire mall mass vaccination site. eligible residents can book an appointment by visiting wevax.ca , or by calling 226-773-2200.

third doses will also be available at participating pharmacies and health-care provider offices throughout windsor and essex county, as well as at pop-up vaccination clinics.
the mall vaccination centre will continue to offer first and second doses for walk-ins without appointments.
the health unit on wednesday reported 20 new covid-19 infections. of those six were close contacts of confirmed cases, nine were community acquired, and the transmission sources of five are still under investigation.
to date, 20,590 area residents have contracted covid-19, including 183 who are still infectious, 464 who have died, and 19,943 who are no longer infectious.
eleven people who have tested positive are in hospital and five of them are in intensive care.
new school outbreaks have been declared at vincent massey secondary school and école élémentaire catholique saint-jean-baptiste. a previously declared outbreak remains active at princess elizabeth public school.
workplace and community outbreaks are also active at two congregate living settings in windsor, a construction business in lakeshore, a correctional facility in tecumseh, a fitness and recreation setting in lasalle, a manufacturing business in leamington, a religious organization in leamington, and a transportation setting in windsor.

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tcampbell@postmedia.com
twitter.com/wstarcampbell

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