City plans to close vaccination clinic at CF Lime Ridge Mall despite another call to arms for COVID and flu shots.
Uptake has declined significantly with each dose of COVID to the point that only one in five Hamiltonians has had a booster in the past six months.
“Now is really the time for a call to arms to make sure you’re up to date on vaccines for this fall season,” Dr. Brendan Lew, a resident physician in public health, said at a board meeting of health on Monday
An increase in viral illnesses, including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID, has overwhelmed McMaster Children’s Hospital and pediatric care across the province.
“We’re currently in the middle of flu season, and now is absolutely the right time to make sure you’ve gotten your flu shot,” Lew said.
In addition, public health recommends the bivalent COVID booster that targets both Omicron and the original COVID virus, especially if it has been six months or more since the last dose.
Vaccinations against COVID have decreased from 81% of Hamiltonians who received two doses to 53% who received three vaccinations to a 22% increase in the past six months.
“We saw lower uptake of booster doses,” Lew said. “I really want to stress the importance of making sure you stay up to date and get that bivalent booster dose.”
However, the city plans to close its commercial clinic on Dec. 21 so it can shift resources to a second mobile clinic that will go to areas of the city with the lowest adoption starting in January.
Additionally, the city is more reliant on pharmacies, which have administered 52 percent of Hamilton’s COVID vaccinations since April.
“Mobile clinics are really one of our big avenues in terms of focusing on access and equity,” Lew said. “These clinics are positioned to serve populations most at risk of experiencing barriers to vaccination.”
The parts of the city that are prioritized for mobile clinics are Advanced Classification Areas (FSAs) covering much of the central and eastern parts of the lower city, including L8L, L8H, L8R, L8K and L8N. L8N also occupies a rural section of Freelton.
Additionally, other FSAs being prioritized are L8W on East Mountain and L8E and L8J on Stoney Creek.
Coun. Alex Wilson pointed out that Flamborough was not among the areas being prioritized despite having lower vaccination rates and fewer pharmacies.
“I’m very curious, when we look at rural Ward 13 or some of the other rural areas, why we think the uptake is lower,” Wilson said.
Public health staff said the low vaccination rate in Flamborough is being monitored.
“We continue to have conversations about how best to approach this,” said Julie Prieto, director of the division of epidemiology and wellness.
The danger that COVID still poses can be seen in the number of ongoing large outbreaks in nursing homes. Idlewyld Manor, in the West Highlands, has had 49 positives and three deaths since November 4. Arbor Creek Long-Term Care Center in Stoney Creek had 64 people infected in an outbreak from Oct. 20 to Nov. 26. At the Meadowlands retirement community in Ancaster, there have been 48 infections since Oct. 13.
Also, four of the city’s 12 ongoing outbreaks as of Tuesday are in already strained Hamilton hospitals. Five more hospital outbreaks were declared over on November 27 and 28. One death was reported in an active outbreak at Juravinski Hospital, where four have tested positive in the E3 unit.
The city also reported six more deaths from COVID from Nov. 22 to 29, including five seniors 80 and older and a 70-year-old Hamiltonian. Brings Hamilton’s pandemic fatalities to 643.
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