Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccination program update on vaccination clinics for Black and other racialized populations/people of colour ages 18+ in priority neighbourhoods

HAMILTON, ON – The Hamilton healthcare partners continue to make progress in vaccinating members of the community. We are pleased to announce that to date, we have administered approximately 186,114 doses of COVD-19 vaccine – with 33.3% of Hamiltonians over the age of 16 receiving a vaccine to date.

To increase vaccine accessibility to those who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, Hamilton Public Health Services is prioritizing Black and other racialized populations/people of colour beginning with serving those ages 18+ and live in postal codes L9C, L8W, L8L, L8N and L9K for COVID-19 vaccination.

Black and other racialized populations/people of colour include but are not limited to individuals from the following communities/populations: Black, Latin American, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Southeast Asian, East Asian and Multi-racial.

While COVID-19 vaccine supply is limited, Public Health Services will continue to prioritize those most at-risk to make the biggest possible impact. From social and demographic data collected by Hamilton Public Health Services, nearly half of all COVID-19 cases in Hamilton (47%) self-identify as a member of a racialized community, but racialized people make up less than a quarter (19%) of Hamilton’s total population.

While Hamilton Public Health Services was encouraged by the uptake in vaccine appointments at Restoration House and First Ontario for Black and other racialized/people of colour, we were also saddened by the large volume of disturbing and hateful comments posted on social media in response to the announcement last week. The City of Hamilton condemns racism in all forms, including comments expressed recently by third parties on City social media channels. We condemn these comments in the strongest possible terms and have taken steps to turn off social comments related to clinics for Black and racialized populations/people of colour to ensure members of racialized communities can receive important local vaccination and public information free from hate.

Black and other Racialized Populations/People of Colour Mobile pop-up clinics

Location

Restoration House
54 Vine Street, L8R 2A7

Dates of operation - Hours of operation

May 3 to 7 10 am to 12 noon
1pm to 3 pm

Location

FirstOntario Centre
101 York Blvd. L8R 3L4

Dates of operation - Hours of operation

Begins May 4 Various

Please note, the vaccination teams will be at these locations on the following dates and will return for scheduled second dose appointments.

Booking an appointment

Black and other racialized populations/people of colour, who are ages 18+ and live in the eligible postal codes L9C, L8W, L8L, L8N, and L9K can book an appointment for a first dose of the vaccine by calling the Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7. These are all by-appointment only clinics, walk-ins are not permitted. Proof of address must be shown when arriving for an appointment if eligibility is due to a hot spot address. Due to potential call volumes expected at the call centre, we ask that those who are calling for an appointment are patient and call back if the lines are busy.   

These clinics will fill quickly and we will continue to provide more targeted clinics for Black and other racialized people/people of colour. We encourage community members to be aware of all of the priority groups for vaccination so that they can be vaccinated under whichever criteria they qualify for first with whichever vaccine is available:

• Black and other racialized populations/people of colour, who are ages 18+  and live in eligible postal codes L9C, L8W, L8L, L8N, L9K can call the Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7 for an appointment at other clinic locations depending on availability of vaccine.
• If you are not able to secure an appointment and are 40 or over, you can be vaccinated a pharmacy. Please visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations to find a location.
• If you also belong to another eligible category, you may be able to book through the provincial booking portal. For more information on other ways to book, please visit 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 populations.

Quick Facts

• Hamilton Health Partners are working closely with Black and other racialized community leaders to determine how best to provide vaccines to community members across Hamilton. In partnership we will:
  • provide ongoing clinics in community-identified locations.
  • expand options for registration and booking to improve access, including direct booking for Hamilton COVID-19 vaccine clinics through the Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline.
  • continue collaboration with community groups/leaders and community health centres to support access to clinics.
  • launch the Community Ambassadors program to build trust and confidence in the COVID-19 vaccination.
• Health centres in the community and service providers are also supporting access to clinics for their most vulnerable populations.
• 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.
• 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

• Translated vaccine resources for priority populations
• Read more about Ontario Pharmacies and Primary Care Settings to Begin Offering COVID-19 Vaccinations
• 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]