Public Health Sudbury & Districts (PHSD) is moving to a new strategy to get more area residents vaccinated against COVID-19.
PHSD announced this week that it will begin winding down the COVID-19 mass immunization clinic sites and will focus on more flexible mobile and pop-up clinic approaches to reach vaccination goals.
In addition, workplaces, community organizations, places of worship, and other groups can now request a mobile vaccination team from Public Health to administer first and second doses at their own location.
This falls in line with a new message from PHSD medical officer of health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe. She wrote in the most recent PHSD vaccine update report that the push is now on to get complete double-dose vaccinations for more and more young people in order to have "as normal a school year as possible" when classes begin next month.
"It is my goal to have as normal a school year as possible, but for that to happen we must increase our vaccination coverage as much as possible before the end of August," Sutcliffe said.
"Time is running short for youth aged 12-17 to be fully vaccinated before the start of school. If you have not received your first dose, it is not too late. There are many convenient options to receive the vaccine including booked appointments, walk-in opportunities, mobile, and pop-up clinics," she added.
Sutcliffe also mentioned that the PHSD jurisdiction recently achieved 80 per cent for first dose vaccinations for citizens aged 12 and over.
"While this is wonderful news, we need to finish the job and make sure our communities, including our school communities, are optimally protected this fall," she said.
As part of the goal to affect more vaccinations, PHSD said a new approach is being put in place to reach another 50,000 citizens.
“We aren’t done yet and we now need to have more precision-focused clinics to offer the approximately 50,000 doses to reach our 90-per-cent target. Every little bit helps and every day we get a little bit closer to achieving our goal of 90 per cent of those 12 and older to be fully vaccinated. I encourage anyone who is eligible for their COVID-19 vaccine to fill up the available spots at some of our last mass immunization clinics in August,” said Sutcliffe.
PHSD said in the next few weeks, it will accept appointments and walk-ins at local mass immunization clinics. These venues will include Centennial Community Centre and Arena in Hanmer on Aug. 4, the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex on Aug. 7, and at the Dr. Edgar Leclair Community Centre and Arena in Azilda on Aug. 13. The Carmichael Arena on Bancroft Drive will continue to host clinics on Tuesday evenings until the end of August and additional clinics may be scheduled as needed, said PHSD.
PHSD said the COVID-19 Delta variant is now dominant in this area and can spread more easily. The health unit said Delta is associated with higher rates of hospitalization, ICU admission, and death as compared with the Alpha variant, and therefore it is more important than ever to get vaccinated.
There is also evidence that one-dose of the vaccine provides reduced protection against the Delta variant and that the double-dose of vaccine is vital.
PHSD is also appealing to groups and organizations to reach out for a mobile vaccine team visit.
"If you are a community organization, community leader, faith leader, employer, or event coordinator and have a group of people that may benefit from a mobile vaccination team, please reach out to Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705-522-9200 or by emailing [email protected]," said the PHSD on Monday.
"Based on the need, Public Health will work with organizations to assess the request to determine the feasibility and suitability of a mobile bus clinic, a pop-up clinic, or a mobile vaccination team for the location in question. Public Health will do its best to accommodate community requests as capacity and timing allow. This approach will help to further reduce barriers for residents and will provide convenient and accessible options for more people to receive their first or second dose," said PHSD.
