The Ottawa area's weekly COVID-19 vaccination checkup: July 29
CBC News | Posted: July 29, 2021 8:00 AM | Last Updated: July 29, 2021
The shift from mass vaccine clinics to a more mobile, targeted approach continues
Highlights:
- Communities continue to shift away from mass clinics to reach the unvaccinated.
- Quebec will offer AstraZeneca recipients a third mRNA dose if needed for travel.
- One eastern Ontario health unit topped the province in vaccination rates.
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 million doses administered in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region, which has about 2.3 million residents.
That's about 325,000 doses over the last two weeks, compared to about 250,000 doses per week in the couple of weeks before that.
Provincial picture
The familiar framing of "everyone who wants a dose can get one" is shifting now that most of them have done that, and the pace of vaccination has slowed.
Health officials are increasingly scaling back mass clinics and redirecting those resources to reach people who haven't wanted to, or haven't been able to, get vaccinated — plus get others a second dose as soon as possible.
- Meet the unvaccinated: Why some Canadians still haven't had the shot
- Canada has enough vaccine doses for all eligible Canadians, PM says
Quebec's lottery for vaccinated people is underway telling younger people their vaccine decisions to get vaccinated will make the difference around vaccine passports come autumn.
Ontario's next vaccination thresholds to exit Step 3 are 80 per cent of eligible residents (12 and older) with at least one vaccine dose, 75 per cent fully vaccinated, and no health unit with less than 70 per cent fully vaccinated.
The province just met that first dose goal, while about 68 per cent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.
More than 73 per cent of Quebec residents have had at least one dose. Its target is to have 75 per cent of people in every age group fully vaccinated by the end of August.
As international travel rules shift, Quebec is offering an extra dose of mRNA vaccine to people who got an AstraZeneca-Oxford shot and want to travel to countries that don't recognize their vaccination status.
Ontario wants the federal government to convince other groups and countries to accept people with this mix.
Ottawa
Some mass vaccine clinics closed last week, now more wrap up this week: the Bruyère community clinic and Wabano Centre clinic's last days are Thursday.
The new focus includes pop-up clinics for anyone eligible to get a first or second dose and bringing mobile vaccine clinics to those who request it — like what happened with the Escapade Music Festival last weekend.
Pharmacies and family doctors are still part of the strategy here and elsewhere in eastern Ontario.
WATCH | The 90% vaccination target to reach herd immunity:
More than 1.4 million doses have now been given to Ottawa residents. That includes nearly 650,000 second doses.
Seventy-three per cent of the city's total population of about 1,050,000 has had at least one dose, including 83 per cent of eligible residents.
Sixty-one per cent of the total population is fully vaccinated, as are 70 per cent of eligible residents.
By age group:
- Ninety per cent of residents 80 and older are fully vaccinated. Residents in their 70s are almost there.
- More than 70 per cent of residents age 40 and older are fully vaccinated.
- More than half of residents age 12 to 39 are fully vaccinated.
- Residents between 18 and 39 have not reached 75 per cent coverage with at least one shot.
Western Quebec
The Outaouais has distributed more than 490,000 doses — combined first and second — among a population of about 386,000.
That doesn't count residents who may have been vaccinated in Ontario.
It continues to list mobile and walk-in clinics online.
WATCH | Junior hockey leagues to require vaccination:
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark
As of Sunday night it had the best vaccine coverage in the province: 88 per cent of eligible residents have at least one dose, and 73 per cent of them have both
The health unit said it wouldn't have a vaccine dashboard update this week. As of the last update July 18 it had given more than 237,000 doses to residents.
There is a steady supply of vaccines and the unit is posting walk-up vaccine locations on Twitter. It's closing its mass vaccine clinics at the end of August and moving to a mobile clinic model.
Hastings Prince Edward
This is one health unit telling the youngest eligible people they should get their first dose in the coming days if they're going to be fully vaccinated by the next school year.
WATCH | Outreach to youth continues:
Standby vaccine lists aren't being offered here any longer as officials focus on walk-in clinics instead. It regularly shares those clinic details online and on social media.
The last day for its Loyalist College mass clinic is Aug. 6.
More than 215,000 doses have been administered to this area's residents, including nearly 95,000 second doses. Another 5,200 or so doses have been given at CFB Trenton.
Eighty-one per cent of the eligible local population has now had a first dose. Sixty-three per cent are fully vaccinated.
Eastern Ontario Health Unit
This health unit wraps up its mass clinics Aug. 27, telling people with a later appointment to rebook or visit a walk-in clinic as it switches to a more flexible plan. Details are regularly shared on its website and social media.
About 262,000 vaccine doses have been administered among a population of about 209,000. About 79 per cent of eligible residents are partially vaccinated and about 64 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Ninety-six per cent of long-term care home staff had at least one dose and 98 per cent of long-term care residents were fully vaccinated.
WATCH | The vaccine update starts around 3:00:
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis told reporters Monday all 10 cases in the previous week were clusters of unvaccinated people, while eight of them were eligible for a shot.
Renfrew County
Mass clinics are done and it regularly shares pop-up and walk-in clinic information online. The next pop-up is Friday afternoon at the Burnstown Farmer's Market.
With a population of about 109,000, Renfrew County has distributed more than 135,000 doses .
More than 80 per cent of its eligible population, including military at Garrison Petawawa, have at least a first dose and more than 71 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Between 50 and 60 per cent of those in each age group 18 to 40 had the first dose. Each age group starting with those 55 to 59 had more than 75 per cent with at least one dose.
The health unit says that means about 18,000 residents haven't had their first dose.
Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington
Mass clinics close this coming Monday and anyone eligible can walk in and get a dose at the Kingston or Napanee locations until then.
Smaller clinics and mobile clinics continue with options shared regularly online and on its social feeds.
"It's really about making vaccinations as convenient as possible … and providing different means [of getting a vaccine]," said Dr. Hugh Guan, associate medical officer of health for the area, on CBC Radio's All in a Day Tuesday.
He also said the next six weeks are key before schools return and supply isn't an issue any longer.
The region, with a population of about 213,000, has had more than 285,000 vaccine doses — combined first and second — given to residents, including 132,000 second doses.
The health unit has now given a first dose to more than 81 per cent of its eligible population 12 and older, and about 70 per cent of eligible people have been fully vaccinated.