This Sunday marks the final day of FirstOntario Centre COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic - Say thank you to clinic heroes by getting your shot

HAMILTON, ON – The Hamilton healthcare partners continue to make progress in vaccinating members of the community who fall into the Province’s COVID-19 Vaccination Framework. To date, Hamilton healthcare partners have administered 776,269 doses of COVD-19 vaccine – with 79.2 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians receiving a vaccine to date and 71.7 per cent fully vaccinated.

On Sunday, August 29, 2021, vaccine clinic staff at the FirstOntario Centre will administer the clinic’s final COVD-19 vaccine doses. Nearly 180,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered at the clinic since it opened its doors on March 22, 2021, with its peak day for number of vaccines administered being Canada Day with 2,731 doses. Over the last month, doses administered per day have dropped to under 400 on average. Community members 12 years of age or older before the end of 2021 are encouraged to walk-in at the FirstOntario Centre this weekend between 8 am and 8 pm to extend a thank you to clinic staff by receiving their first or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are available.

As the number of people remaining to be vaccinated becomes smaller, and how they would like to be vaccinated changes, Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccine program continues its careful and measured wind-down of large-scale mass vaccination clinics through to early September. Hamilton’s vaccine program is transitioning to smaller clinics across the community including 100+ pharmacies, targeted mobile pop-up clinics, school-based clinics and two primary care led clinics at the David Braley Health Sciences Centre and Winterberry Family Medicine.

With COVID-19 case counts and outbreaks increasing locally and across the province, and back-to-school under two weeks away, it’s imperative that Hamilton’s vaccination coverage continues to increase and that all Hamiltonians follow public health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant.

Vaccines can be accessed both on a walk-in basis at many locations or by booking an appointment. Information regarding walk-in options, booking an appointment and frequently asked questions are available at hamilton.ca/GetYourVaccine.

“On behalf of all Hamiltonians, I want to express my gratitude to FirstOntario Centre COVID-19 Vaccine clinic staff heroes for their dedication and hard work over the past five months. The nearly 180,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered at the FirstOntario Centre is truly inspiring and speaks to the staff’s commitment to the health and well-being of residents across the City of Hamilton. Thank you to the tens of thousands of residents who rolled up their sleeves at the clinic to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to protect who they love and get back to what they love. For those who are eligible and have yet to get fully vaccinated, please do so as soon as possible to stop the spread of the virus.”

– Mayor Fred Eisenberger

“As our vaccine program continues to move into a new phase our job is far from over. Alongside our partners from across the health care system and local community organizations, we remain committed to increasing vaccine coverage in our community using new channels of outreach and vaccine sites to connect with people who have yet to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and the strong protection it offers to themselves and their loved ones.”

– Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Medical Officer of Health

Quick Facts

• Hamilton Hamilton Health Sciences COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic (293 Wellington St. N) closed as of August 3, 2021. The St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton West 5th COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic (100 West 5th St.) will close as of September 2, 2021.
• Hamilton’s large-scale clinics have been essential in administering significant volumes of vaccine to community members – nearly two thirds of the doses administered in Hamilton.
• The Pfizer vaccine is currently the only COVID-19 vaccine that has been authorized by Health Canada for individuals ages 12 to 17.
• All vaccination planning is based on and contingent on available COVID-19 vaccine supply. Vaccine administration rates may differ based on local context.

Additional Resources

• Read more about Ontario’s COVID vaccination program.
• www.hamilton.ca/GetYourVaccine
• www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine-distribution
• www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus
• 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]