Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccination program expanding to include booster doses for young people aged 12 to 17

HAMILTON, ON - In alignment with Ontario government direction, effective this Friday, February 18, 2022 at 8 am, booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will be available for youth aged 12 to 17 in Hamilton.

Beginning this Friday, youth aged 12 to 17 will be able to walk-in for a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine at many local clinic locations. Appointments for a booster shot can also be booked through Hamilton’s online booking system at hamilton.ca/GetYourVaccine. Youth aged 12 to 17 can receive a booster dose approximately six months (168 days) after their second dose. To book an appointment or walk-in for a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, individuals must be 12 years old at the time of appointment.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and getting fully vaccinated and receiving a booster dose when eligible will continue to help balance the risks of the highly-transmissable Omicron variant, and the risks to the mental, emotional and physical health of children, youth and their learning.

Hamilton and Ontario’s Last Mile Strategy

Hamilton Public Health Services’ top priority continues to be the opportunistic and hyper-localized Last Mile Strategy to increase the administration of first, second, third doses of COVID-19 vaccines. This strategy will ensure protection against COVID-19 is equally distributed across populations, the community, and neighbourhoods and school communities with lower vaccine coverage rates. Furthermore, residents will benefit from access to tailored information and vaccines that are accessible at convenient locations and times.

Community members can learn about eligibility, available locations, hours of operation and how to book an appointment at hamilton.ca/GetYourVaccine. This includes a wide variety of clinic options, such as large fixed-site, primary care led, school-based, neighbourhood pharmacy, community partner led, the Ministry of Health led GO-VAXX, and mobile vaccination clinics in Hamilton.

Quick Facts

• As of this Friday, there will be approximately 21,000 young people aged 12 to 17 in Hamilton eligible for a booster dose at the 168-day interval.
• Hamilton Healthcare Partners continue to make progress in vaccinating eligible community members. To date, 87.1 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 82.8 per cent are fully vaccinated. 1,202,438 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 278,940 third and booster doses.
• 85.2 per cent of children aged 12 to 17 have received a first dose and 81.3 per cent are fully vaccinated.
• Vaccine administration rates may differ based on local context. All vaccination planning is based on and contingent on available COVID-19 vaccine supply and the necessary health and human resources.
• It is vital that members of the public, even those who have been vaccinated, ensure that public health measures still be practiced until it is safe and said to be safe by the health professionals in all levels of government.