Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccination program expands to include adults aged 80+ with the launch of the Provincial online booking portal

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 53,216 doses of COVD-19 vaccine, with 16,046 people now fully vaccinated.

Vaccination of adults 80 years of age and older

• With the launch of the provincial online booking portal on Monday, March 15th, Hamilton’s vaccination program will expand eligibility to include those 80-84 years of age (in 2021) to the current eligible population of 85+ years of age.
• These recipients will be able to register using the provincial vaccine booking tool beginning Monday, March 15th, the booking link can be found at www.hamilton.ca/VaccineBooking.
• These are all by-appointment only clinics, walk-ins are not permitted.

For those who do not have access to the internet or a computer, or do not have a valid Ontario photo health card, please call the Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7 to book an appointment. Due to potential call volumes expected at the call centre, the City of Hamilton encourages everyone to self-register online if able to so, it's the quickest process to get an appointment. The hotline is trying to focus on those without health cards and those without computer access.

Vaccination of adults 85 years of age and older

As of March 10th, 6,300 doses have been administered to those adults who are 85 years of age and older, making that 55% of the eligible population vaccinated.

Next steps for those residents aged 85+ who have called to register for a COVID-19 vaccine and who have not received a call back:

• Call-backs for appointments will continue through to March 14th at 4 p.m. It is important that residents answer phone calls when they are called back.
• Call-backs will discontinue after March 14th at 4 p.m.
• Beginning March 15th, those who have not received a call back are encouraged to use the online booking tool to book an appointment. Booking instructions and a link will be found at www.hamilton.ca/VaccineBooking.
• These are all by-appointment only clinics, walk-ins are not permitted.

For those who do not have access to the internet or a computer, or do not have a valid Ontario photo health card, please call the Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7 to book an appointment. Due to potential call volumes expected at the call centre, the City of Hamilton encourages everyone to self-register online if able to so, it's the quickest process to get an appointment. The hotline is trying to focus on those without health cards and those without computer access.

Vaccination of community healthcare workers

At this time, those community healthcare workers who have registered through the vaccine registration online portal and have received a confirmation email will remain in the queue, do not need to re-register. It’s important to remember that once registered, healthcare workers will be called for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment in the upcoming weeks or months as they become eligible. The appointment bookings are not allocated in order of registration, but rather are based on prioritization outlined in Ontario’s COVID-19: Guidance for Prioritizing Health Care Workers for COVID-19 Vaccination. Community healthcare workers can register for a vaccine by visiting www.hamilton.ca/VaccineRegistration. We appreciate your patience during this process.

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.

Quick Facts

• Vaccination phasing and sequencing will continue to be released for additional categories as per the direction of the provincial government.
• All vaccination planning is based on and contingent on available COVID-19 vaccine supply.
• 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

• 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]