PORT HOPE, ON (November 3, 2021) - With the provincial announcement of expanded eligibility for third doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the local health unit is once again opening mass immunization clinics to meet the expected demand.

Today, the province announced that additional groups of people are now eligible to receive a third dose of the vaccine. These groups include:

• People 70 years of age and older (born in 1951 or earlier)
• First Nations, Metis and Inuit adults including non-Indigenous household members
• Anyone who received two doses of the non-mRNA Astra Zeneca/COVIDSHIELD COVID-19 vaccine or a single dose of Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
• Health care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings (including long-term care home and retirement home staff and designated caregivers).

Please note: All individuals from these additional groups are eligible to receive their booster at least six months or 168 days from the time they received their second dose. Individuals are encouraged to check their vaccine receipt and follow the guidelines to ensure they meet the correct interval for their booster dose. Guidelines can be found at www.hkpr.on.ca.

Previously, the government had called for all residents of long-term care, First Nations elder care lodges and retirement homes to get a third dose as well as particular groups of immunocompromised people and others receiving immune system-suppressing drugs.

To meet the expected demand for third doses and the anticipated provincial announcement of eligibility for children five to 11 years of age, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is once again opening the doors to mass immunization clinics.

“Like all aspects of COVID-19, we are continuing to learn more information about the virus as time progresses, and it has been shown that a third dose of vaccine can increase some people’s protection against the virus,” says HKPR Medical Officer of Health Dr. Natalie Bocking. “We have been working with our health care partners to provide third doses to those people previously identified, but now with the expanded list, we know many of our residents will be looking to the Health Unit to once again provide their vaccination.”

The Health Unit’s mass immunization clinics will operate out of fixed sites located in each of the three counties in the HKPR region. Dates and times of each clinic will vary and will be posted on the Health Unit’s website at www.hkpr.on.ca. Clinic sites include:

• Fenelon Falls Community Centre
• Lindsay Exhibition
• Minden Community Centre
• Cobourg Community Centre
• Keeler Centre in Colborne

As well, seven high schools are being used for vaccination sites on weekends. These sites include: Haliburton Highlands Secondary School, I.E. Weldon S.S. in Lindsay, Lindsay Collegiate and Vocational Institute (LCVI), Fenelon Falls High School, Cobourg Collegiate Institute, East Northumberland Secondary School in Brighton, and Campbellford District High School.

To ensure less waiting for incoming clients at the mass immunization clinics, the Health Unit is moving back to having residents book an appointment at upcoming clinics through the provincial booking system. The system will go live at 8 am on Saturday, November 6 and can be accessed by visiting https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/ or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900 (TTY for people who are deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired: 1-866-797-0007)

For those residents who do NOT wish to book a vaccination appointment, the Health Unit will be accepting walk-ins for the last hour of each clinic (3:30 to 4:30 pm).

“As we are moving into cooler, winter weather, we don’t want to see our older residents have to wait in long lines outside of our clinics for their vaccination,” says Dr. Bocking. “Moving back to using the provincial booking system will allow people to set an appointment that works for them to help minimize the time people need to spend at our clinics.”

Eligible residents can also check with their primary health care provider or local pharmacy to check and see if they are providing third doses of vaccine.

For more details about the third dose eligibility, the Health Unit’s mass immunization clinics or the provincial booking system, visit www.hkpr.on.ca.

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