Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccination program expands to include community healthcare workers and adults 85+ years

HAMILTON, ON –The Hamilton healthcare partners are making progress in vaccinating members of the community who fall into Phase 1 of the Province’s COVID-19 Vaccination framework. We are pleased to announce that to date, we have administered over 32,925 doses of COVD-19 vaccine through both the HHS fixed-site large scale clinic and the mobile clinic, with 15,275 people now fully vaccinated.

Vaccination of healthcare and community healthcare workers

The Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) fixed-site clinic has been completing the administration of 2nddoses of vaccination to healthcare workers and today restarted administering first doses to healthcare workers (from hospitals and from the community). Community healthcare workers can register to receive an appointment by visiting www.hamilton.ca/VaccineRegistration, registration for this group opened on February 24, 2021.

This is a by appointment only clinic, walk-ins are not permitted.

Vaccination of adults 85 years of age and older

With the current vaccine supply we are able to start offering vaccine to those 85 years and older.Those 80 to 84 years of age will become eligible over the coming weeks.A number of clinic sites are being set up:

• On March 1st, the St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) West 5thCOVID-19 Vaccine Clinic will begin to vaccinate adults 85 years of age and older.To quickly begin scheduling appointments, those who are 85 years + in this calendar year and live in Hamilton and who have received care at a Hamilton hospital or a Hamilton hospital clinic over the past six months will be contacted with an appointment time beginning today.Members of this group who have NOT received care at a Hamilton hospital or a Hamilton hospital clinic over the past six months, and would like to register for a vaccine, can call the Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7.
• Beginning March 3rd, the Hamilton Public Health Services mobile clinic will be setting up pop-up vaccination clinics at the following locations
  • Stoney Creek: Saltfleet Community Centre
  • Glanbrook/Mount Hope: Municipal Service Centre
  • Ancaster: Ancaster Rotary Club
  • Dundas: Dundas Community Centre
  • Waterdown/Flamborough: Harry Howell Arena
  • Additional clinic sites within neighbourhoods disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 –final sites to be announced in coming days.

These are all by appointment only clinics, walk-ins are not permitted.

It’s important to note, when being contacted for an appointment, members of the public will NOT be asked for their health card number, social insurance number, or credit card number. Vaccinations are free of charge.

Next steps

As released yesterday, the Province is working on providing public health units with a booking tool to implement locally.  Once this is launched, the following age groups will become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination: 3rd week of March for those 80 years old or older, April 15th for those aged 75+, May 1st for those aged 70+, June 1st for those aged 65+, and July 1st for those 60 and older. 

Phasing and sequencing will continue to be released for additional categories as per the direction of the provincial government.

Information regarding registration, booking, and sequencing will be available on the COVID-19 Vaccines section of the City’s website at www.hamilton.ca/COVIDvaccines.

We need to work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community, to reserve healthcare and hospital capacity and to protect vulnerable settings like long-term care homes.

Quick facts

• Vaccination roll-out is based on the prioritization framework as determined by Provincial guidelines. 
• It is expected that vaccines will become available for more people in the winter and spring of 2021. It is expected that by end of 2021 everyone who wants a vaccine will be offered a vaccine free of cost.
• Working groups from across Hamilton’s health sector continue to work to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed effectively and equitably once they arrive locally. Teams are focused on implementing the provincial framework to ensure prioritization of key populations is met and that the logistics around local storage and distribution of vaccine supply are ready to be operationalized.
• 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.  Public health measures include:  
  • stay home if you are feeling unwell
  • get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or have been in close contact with a confirmed positive case of COVID-19
  • limit gatherings to only members of your immediate household
  • maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet or 2 meters from others outside of your immediate household
  • wear a mask or face covering indoors and outdoors when not able to maintain physical distancing
  • wash hands frequently

Additional resources

• View the Board of Health Presentation – February 19, 2020
• Read more about Ontario’s COVID vaccination program.
• www.hamilton.ca/COVIDvaccines
• www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus
• https://covid-19.ontario.ca
• Public Health Services’ COVID-19 Hotline: 905-974-9848 or [email protected]