Hamilton Public Health Services publishing local schools’ COVID-19 vaccination rates

HAMILTON, ON - In alignment with the City of Hamilton’s commitment to transparency, and sharing relevant and timely data with the community, Hamilton Public Health Services is publishing school COVID-19 vaccination rates to the City’s "COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution” dashboard, effective today.

The school COVID-19 vaccination coverage estimates, current as of October 25, 2021, includes students eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine (born in 2009 and earlier) who live in Hamilton. The vaccination rates are confirmed by linking COVID-19 vaccine records from the Province’s COVAX database and local school boards’ enrolment lists through the Panorama database. In total, analysis included 37,971 COVID-19 vaccine eligible students at 169 local schools and does not differentiate between those eligible students enrolled in in-person learning or those learning remotely.

Local school COVID-19 vaccination rates appear to correlate with a community’s socioeconomic status, which are consistent with what is seen in Hamilton’s general population. COVID-19 vaccination rates— similar to vaccine coverage rates of required vaccines under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA)—are not reflective of school performance; rather, is rooted in the social determinants of health which differ across school communities.

Access to local school COVID-19 vaccination rates provides Hamilton Public Health Services and school board partners with an important tool to support COVID-19 case, contact and outbreak management within schools. The rates will also inform planning for Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccine program—both its Last Mile Strategy and the anticipated eligibility expansion to children five to 11 years of age.

Hamilton Public Health Services’ top priority continues to be the Last Mile Strategy, administering both first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and ensuring neighbourhoods and school communities with lower coverage rates have access to information tailored to their needs and vaccine that is accessible at convenient locations and times. This includes 40 recently added mobile vaccination clinics, including five in-school COVID-19 vaccine clinics available to HWCDSB and HWDSB students, families and staff in each school community, plus eligible students from elementary feeder schools.  

Hamilton Public Health Services continues to work closely with hospital, primary care, pharmacy, Hamilton Paramedic Service and other community organizations to offer vaccine to all eligible community members with health equity principles at the foundation of Hamilton’s vaccine program.

Quick Facts

• Local school COVID-19 vaccination data will be refreshed on November 30 and updated monthly thereafter on the City’s “COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution” dashboard.
• Since January 2021, Hamilton healthcare partners have hosted 693 mobile pop-up clinics and 382 on-site mobile clinics. This includes 62 secondary school COVID-19 vaccine clinics hosted at 22 locations since August 12, 2021.
• On August 18, 2021, individuals born in 2009 and earlier became eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
• Hamilton Public Health Services is working together with partners from local school boards and McMaster Children’s Hospital to scale up operations in preparation for the vaccination of children aged five to 11, including family friendly clinics and an age specific vaccine confidence campaign.
• Hamilton Public Health Services is encouraged to see the reports from the middle of October (October 18, 2021) that Pfizer has formally requested approval from Health Canada for its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11. Community members now eagerly await Health Canada approval and recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and direction from the Ontario government, including vaccine supply and distribution.

Additional Resources

• www.hamilton.ca/COVIDvaccines
• www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus
• covid-19.ontario.ca
• kidshealthfirst.ca/
• Public Health Services’ COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline: 905-974-9848, option 7 or [email protected]
• Public Health Services’ COVID-19 Hotline: 905-974-9848 or [email protected]

“Having access to school vaccination rates means we as a community are using every tool in our toolbox to keep kids in class and provides Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccine program with important information for its Last Mile Strategy. This strategy is focused on making sure neighbourhoods with lower coverage rates have access to information tailored to their needs and COVID-19 vaccines accessible at convenient locations and times.”

- Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Medical Officer of Health

“We continue to work closely with Hamilton Public Health Services to maintain a layered approach to COVID-19 prevention, so that schools can remain safe and open. We know that immunization is important if schools are to return to normal without the need for public health restrictions. We appreciate this school-level data as a way to further refine vaccine access opportunities through public health. We thank public health for compiling and sharing this additional data in a transparent and supportive manner.”

- Dawn Danko, Chair of the Board, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board

“Our priority this year, in collaboration with Hamilton Public Health Services, is to keep our schools open and safe for in-person learning. The collection and publication of school COVID-19 vaccination rates will not only support case, contact and outbreak management in our schools but will ensure that key information and services continue to reach those students, staff and families that need them the most. We appreciate the support and continued guidance from Public Health as we return to normal operations. 

- Patrick J. Daly, Chairperson, Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board