Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccine program expands to include 85+ and community health-care workers
Published February 26, 2021 at 2:31 pm
Hamilton Public Health Services (PHS) and its health-care partners have expanded the city’s COVID-19 vaccination program to include community health-care workers and people 85 years old and up.
A press release issued Friday (Feb. 26), confirmed that more than 32,925 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered through the Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) fixed-site clinic and the mobile clinic.
In Hamilton, 15,275 people have now been fully vaccinated.
“The HHS fixed-site clinic has been completing the administration of 2nd doses of vaccination to healthcare workers and today restarted administering first doses to healthcare workers (from hospitals and from the community),” the release said.
Community health-care workers can now start registering for their vaccine appointment online.
In the meantime, the city’s current supply of vaccines also allows those who are 85 years and older to start getting their shots.
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“Those 80-84 years of age will become eligible over the coming weeks,” the release said.
Starting next week, the St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) West 5th COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic will begin to vaccinate adults 85 years of age and older.
PHS said that in an effort to quickly start scheduling these vaccine appointments, Hamiltonians who are 85 years + in this calendar year and who have received care at a Hamilton hospital or a Hamilton hospital clinic over the past six months will be contacted with an appointment time starting Friday (Feb. 26).
“When being contacted for an appointment, members of the public will NOT be asked for their health card number, social insurance number, or credit card number,” PHS confirmed.
Those in the 85+ cohort who have NOT received treatment at a Hamilton hospital or one of their clinics in the last six months can make appointments by calling the Public Health Services COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at (905) 974-9848, option 7.
The mobile clinic is also starting to offer more pop-up clinics starting March 3 in the following locations:
- Winona: Saltfleet Community Centre
- Glanbrook/Mount Hope: Municipal Service Centre
- Ancaster: Ancaster Rotary Club
- Dundas: Dundas Community Centre
- Waterdown/Flamborough: Harry Howell Arena
- Additional sites in neighbourhoods disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 – final sites to be announced in coming days
So how will the rest of Hamilton’s vaccine program look in the coming months?
Firstly, it’s important to note that roll-out is based on the prioritization framework as determined by Provincial guidelines, so if those change, so too do the dates listed below.
Once the province’s online booking tool is implemented locally, the following age groups will become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination:
- 3rd week of March for those 80 years old or older
- April 15th for those aged 75+
- May 1st for those aged 70+
- June 1st for those aged 65+
- July 1st for those 60 and older