The Ottawa area's weekly COVID-19 vaccination checkup: Dec. 9

Highlights:

• Officials keep pushing vaccinations for holiday gatherings.
• Third dose eligibility expands by age in Ontario.
• Quebec opens third doses to more groups, with more ages next month.
• Pfizer-BioNTech pushes a three-dose COVID-19 vaccination to fight omicron.

Every Thursday, CBC Ottawa brings you this roundup of COVID-19 vaccination developments throughout the region. You can find more information through links at the bottom of the page.

There have been more than 3.8 million doses administered in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region; nearly 80,000 in the last week. That count has risen again recently with child and third dose eligibility expanding.

Provincial picture

Top health officials say vaccines are a key tool to help keep people safe if they're gathering indoors for the holidays.

Quebec and Ontario say people should mask and distance if they're around unvaccinated people indoors, with Quebec's public health director going further to recommend not to mix vaccinated and unvaccinated people. 

• Quebec increases limit for indoor holiday gatherings
• Keep gatherings small to avoid holiday COVID-19 restrictions, experts urge

Ontario's science table says too many Ontarians are unvaccinated and that means there's still a risk of straining the health-care system in the coming weeks.

As a way to offer some sort of protection, Ontario is offering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to adults "who have an allergy or contraindication to mRNA vaccines or at the request of an individual who has not yet been vaccinated."

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Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queen's University, says many new cases still originate at private gatherings, meaning it’s wise to limit the number of close contacts despite the effectiveness of vaccines.

Ontario is also expanding third vaccine doses to people in their 50s and 60s as of Monday morning. People receiving dialysis are now eligible to receive a third vaccine dose if it has been 56 days since their second dose and people given some types of cell transplants or therapies should get another dose.

Quebec has expanded third-dose eligibility to health-care workers, people with chronic illnesses and other health issues, people from isolated and remote communities and pregnant people.

It's not doing its next age-based expansion until January, which means it isn't following recent national recommendations as closely as Ontario. Quebec has its own immunization committee.

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Quebec company Medicago is getting ready to submit data about its COVID-19 vaccine for final regulatory approval, which is a significant step for the pandemic and Canada's bio-pharmaceutical industry.

Eighty-seven per cent of Quebec residents age five and up have had at least one dose and 81 per cent are fully vaccinated.

About 85 per cent of Ontario residents born in 2016 and earlier have at least one vaccine dose, while about 81 per cent are fully vaccinated.

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Pfizer and BioNTech are sharing preliminary findings that a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralize the new omicron variant in a laboratory test. It's the first official statement from vaccine manufacturers on the likely efficacy of their shot against the latest variant of concern.

WATCH | Pfizer-BioNTech's research into omicron: 

Pfizer says 3 shots neutralize omicron variant in early findings

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Pfizer-BioNTech have reported early findings that show three doses of their COVID-19 vaccine are more effective than two when it comes to neutralizing the omicron variant in lab settings. The World Health Organization cautioned against jumping to conclusions, saying the unvaccinated should get their first doses before worrying about third shots.

Ottawa

OPH has released a list of after-school drop-in clinics for younger children. There are a few options every day until Dec. 23.

The capital still has regular and pop-up clinics for anyone eligible to get a first, second or third dose, as well as neighbourhood vaccine hubs, and it's bringing mobile vaccine clinics to workplaces who request it.

More than 1.7 million doses have now been given to Ottawa residents.

Of the city's total population of just over one million, 83 per cent of residents have had at least one dose, including 87 per cent of residents born in 2016 or earlier.

Seventy-seven per cent of the total population is fully vaccinated, as are 82 per cent of the population age five and older.

About 69,000 residents have had a third dose.

Western Quebec

Parents are urged to make an appointment through the online system, but walk-in appointments for children will be available Saturdays at the Palais des Congrès between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

CISSSO continues to list recurring, mobile and pop-up clinics online. Third doses are by appointment only.

The Outaouais has distributed about 632,000 doses — combined first, second and third — among a population of about 386,000.

A COVID-19 outbreak in Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg has disrupted its vaccination campaign.

Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington

The health unit is offering shots to younger kids and boosters at three main clinics by appointment only, with walk-ins for other kinds of shots on some days.

There are child-only clinics at a different high school in the region each week — this week the Kingston Secondary School Thursday afternoon. More child-only clinics are in Stone Mills Thursday and the Napanee Community Health Centre Thursday, Sunday and Monday

It shares the latest vaccination information online and on its social feeds.

About 88 per cent of its population age five and older has at least one vaccine dose and about 83 per cent of that group is fully vaccinated.

The region, with a population of about 213,000, has had more than 362,000 vaccine doses — combined first, second and third — given to residents.

About 33 per cent of the region's approximately 13,000 newly eligible children have been vaccinated. About 19,000 residents have had a third dose.

Eastern Ontario Health Unit

The EOHU is accepting walk-ins for newly eligible children at certain clinics, on top of the appointments being offered at provincial clinics. Appointments are still preferred.

This weekend they're at Rockland's Jean-Marc Lalonde Arena Thursday afternoon and Cornwall Square on Friday.

Details for its vaccine clinics are regularly shared on its website and social media. It prefers people try a pharmacy or family doctor for their third dose before a community clinic.

More than 347,000 vaccine doses have been administered, including more than 11,800 third doses.

About 84 per cent of residents five and older are partially vaccinated, including about 20 per cent of its five-to-11 population, and about 80 per cent are fully vaccinated. 

WATCH | The medical officer of health's weekly update: 

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark

Because of the new demand from children and those seeking a third dose, the health unit is not offering walk-in vaccinations at this time. Clinic locations and hours are listed online and on social media; space for walk-ins may open up from time to time and they'll share it online if it does.

There will be kids-only clinics in Brockville and Smiths Falls starting this weekend. Parents who qualify for a dose can get vaccinated at the same time as their child.

The health unit has given about 315,000 doses to residents, which now includes about 11,800 third doses.

It is seeing 95 per cent of its population age 12 and up with at least one dose and about 93 per cent of those residents have at least two doses.

About 1,900 children born between 2010 and 2016 have had a first dose, which is about 16 per cent of its total.

Hastings Prince Edward 

Appointments in Belleville and Picton are by appointment only. Bancroft's vaccinations are being handled by the local health team.

There's a clinic just for children age five to 11 Thursday afternoon at Trenton High School. One or two household members can get vaccinated without an appointment as long as the child has an appointment.

Other options are listed on the health unit's website.

About 279,000 doses have been administered to this area's residents, including about 11,600 third doses.

Eighty-four per cent of the local population age five and older has had at least has a first dose, including about 2,300 doses for kids age five to 11. Seventy-eight per cent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.

Renfrew County

The health unit regularly shares pop-up and walk-in clinic information online. It includes a clinic for people age 12 and up in Cobden Thursday at noon and child-only clinics Friday and Saturday in Pembroke.

Renfrew County's health unit has distributed more than 163,000 doses.

Just under 90 per cent of its population above age 12, including military at Garrison Petawawa, have at least a first dose and about 87 per cent are fully vaccinated. It isn't yet sharing data about younger children.