KAWARTHA LAKES-The health unit says it has added 30,000 appointments to the Coronavirus mass immunization clinics in the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit area in April.
“We have received notification of the number of doses we will be receiving in the coming weeks and have been able to add 30,000 appointments to our mass immunization clinics during the month of April,” Dr. Gemmill, Acting Medical Officer of Health, Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit said. “These mass immunization clinics, coupled with the expanded access through pharmacies and family physicians, is really going to help us ensure that more of our residents are protected against COVID-19 through vaccination.”
As of April 2, all Ontario residents born in 1951 or earlier became eligible to book a vaccination appointment through the provincial booking system. These appointments can be booked through the provincial booking system atwww.ontario.ca/bookvaccine or by phone at 1-888-999-6488. Appointments must be booked through the provincial booking system. In Toronto and Peel Region, residents 60+ are eligible to book vaccination appointments.
As well, the province announced the expansion of its pharmacy and primary care program to provide more options for residents aged 55+ to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. Under this program, residents will be able to book vaccination appointments directly with participating pharmacies and their health care providers.
Pharmacies in Lindsay, Campbellford, Cobourg and Port Hope will now be offering vaccination appointments for residents 55+. Appointments for these clinics are to be booked directly with the participating pharmacies.
Kawartha Lakes Pharmacy at 55 Angeline Street North Unit 4A in Lindsay and Shoppers Drug Mart 343 Kent Street West Unit 341 Lindsay are the two pharmacy locations in Kawartha Lakes.
HKPRDHU has also been notified that it will receive 2,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine and these will be administered through primary health care providers. Details on which primary health care partners are participating is still being finalized.
“We are so pleased to receive this news from the province,” said Dr. Ian Gemmill, “We have been asking our residents to be patient as we wait for more vaccine to be received locally and this is expansion is going to go a long way in help to get more vaccine into local arms.”
There are also more mass immunization clinics starting next week in the three counties. Clinics have been operating in Lindsay and Cobourg, and starting next week there will be additional clinics opening in Fenelon Falls, Trent Hills and Minden. A mass immunization clinic will also be starting up in Haliburton on April 12. Additional information about these clinics can be found on the HKPRDHU website at www.hkpr.on.ca. Appointments must be booked through the provincial booking system atwww.ontario.ca/bookvaccine or by phone at 1-888-999-6488.
