By Cecilia Nasmith

For the best COVID-19 protection to be had, three target populations need to step up on the vaccination front, Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Natalie Bocking said at this week's media scrum.

That would be young people, anyone who hasn't yet had a first dose, and anyone with a second-dose booking on Aug. 1 or later.

In the past 14 days, new cases have been overwhelmingly in the 20-to-49 age group, Dr. Bocking pointed out.

“I continue to urge youth, young adults and families, community organizations that work with them, workplaces, to encourage individuals and support access to vaccinations for these individuals to see that our community reaches the highest coverage we can,” she urged.

Those who have not had even had a first dose are also a concern, a number in the HKPR region that is estimated at 40,000. The weekly increase in those who've had a first dose is only incremental, while the increase in those getting a second dose sometimes grows by as much as 10%.

And her best advice for those with an appointment for a second dose is to move it up to as close a date as possible. Check the provincial booking system, look out for walk-in clinics, visit a pharmacy, do whatever you can – because that will ensure a higher level of coverage that much sooner.

As of midweek, Dr. Bocking said 13,000 appointments at HKPR clinics were available. And access has been expanded with walk-in capacity at most of their mass-immunization clinics – locally, the service is offered in Cobourg (though not in Campbellford).

“We will continue to move in this direction to ensure we are eliminating any potential barriers to people accessing vaccine,” she said.

Mobile clinics are continuing and locally – through Northumberland Hills Hospital and the Ontario Health Team-Northumberland – they are providing coverage to more rural and isolated communities. As well, Campbellford Memorial Hospital is offering some clinics, not to mention multiple pharmacies and some primary-health-care practices.

But Dr. Bocking still called the current vaccination numbers remarkable – 76.5% of those eligible for vaccinations (aged 12 and up) having gotten one shot and 51.2% of them having gotten two.

At this point, the HKPR jurisdiction has seen 2,204 cases over the course of the pandemic, but only 21 of them are currently active – all in the City of Kawartha Lakes (which is also where the only outbreak is currently on-going with six cases still active). The seven-day average of cases per 100,000 population still seems to hover more or less around 10.1 cases and, based on lab reports received to date, there are 37 cases of the Delta variant.

“HKPR is not an island,” she said.

“We know the Delta variant is impacting other areas, so we are absolutely equally at risk for outbreaks of the Delta variant as other areas.”

Though a scientist from the World Health Organization has expressed concerns about mixing vaccines, Canadian authorities see no reason not to mix vaccines, especially the mRNA varieties, Moderna and Pfizer. And since Pfizer must be prioritized for those under 18 – as it is the only vaccine approved for that age group – this situation is arising more often.

“We do know interchangeability is both safe and effective, and we will continue to support this vaccine policy in Ontario and through our vaccine clinics,” Dr. Bocking said.

As Ontario enters Step 3 of the Roadmap to Reopen, she reminds everyone that expanded capacity for retail businesses and social gatherings does not mean no conditions. Well-established practices like masking and social distancing will continue, especially in businesses that offer service indoors.

Looking farther ahead to the new school year, Dr. Bocking reminds everyone that there is no vaccine approved for children under the age of 12. Along with whatever public-health measures remain for these children – the masking, the ventilation, the enhanced environmental cleaning – the best protection we can offer these children is to make sure as much of the population over age 12 as possible is fully vaccinated.