By Cecilia Nasmith
With the majority of eligible residents in the region having already received their booster dose, the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit has announced plans to close its mass-immunization clinic at the Cobourg Community Centre Feb. 26 – one day after it closes its mass-immunization clinic in Lindsay.
To support ongoing vaccination efforts, in-house clinics will open at health unit offices in Port Hope (200 Rose Glen Rd.) and in Lindsay (108 Angeline St. S.).
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Natalie Bocking said in the announcement that booster-dose coverage for HKPR residents aged 18 and older has topped 60%. First doses have been administered to 85.8% of eligible residents, while 82.4% have two.
“The daily number of new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to decline, and other indicators are trending in the right direction,” Dr. Bocking added.
“Although two of our mass-immunization clinics will close by the end of this month, COVID-19 vaccines will still be widely available to eligible individuals through our in-house clinics located in Port Hope and Lindsay, community pharmacies, and health-care providers.”
While the CCC clinic remains open, walk-in shots for any dose for anyone aged five and older are available between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and both mRNA vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna – are available.
As of 8 a.m. Friday, booster eligibility is extended to those aged 12 to 18, provided it has been 168 days since their second dose. For those eligible for a fourth dose, at least 84 days must have elapsed since any previous shot.
You can visit the health unit website for a complete list of vaccination clinics, pharmacy locations and primary-care providers offering the shot.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to recognize all of our employees and volunteers who have been assisting with COVID-19 immunization, case and contact management and outbreak response,” Dr. Bocking said.
“Your dedication and tremendous contributions to keeping the people of the Haliburton, Kawartha and Pine Ridge districts safe and healthy throughout this pandemic has been nothing short of extraordinary.”
