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The Sarnia-area health unit has opened the majority of its COVID-19 vaccine clinics to walk-ins amid the home stretch of the rollout, its top doctor says.
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Appointments are still recommended to avoid lines but are not mandatory as Lambton public health’s clinics welcome all residents age five-plus looking for any of their three doses.
“We are in the home stretch,” Dr. Sudit Ranade said Monday in a statement. “We have many available appointments at the clinics in February and we’re urging those who have not been vaccinated to do so now.”
The London-area health unit made a similar announcement Monday.
Ranade previously said demand is expected to wane as the calendar flips to February.
“So (Lambton public health) will continue to offer clinics this month but are basing future schedules on demand,” he said in the statement.
The health unit added it’s “happy” to report the provincial supply of the Pfizer vaccine has stabilized, so that brand will now be available to residents age 30 and older. Sarnia-Lambton residents younger than 30 were already receiving Pfizer for their first, second or third doses.
“Vaccination continues to be the most important method of keeping yourself and your loved ones safe,” Ranade said. “If you are eligible, please book an appointment or attend a clinic today. Your health and the welfare of our health-care system depends on it.”
Pop-up clinics are scheduled for Thursday at St. Patrick’s Catholic high school in Sarnia from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Feb. 17 and Feb. 24 at the Florence and District and Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood community centres, respectively.
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Visit GetTheVaccine.ca for more information.
The health unit also encouraged residents to contact local pharmacies or their family doctors for additional information on availability.
A total of 260,771 doses were administered to residents as of Monday via the health unit, doctors’ offices, family health teams, pharmacies and mobile clinics. Seventy-eight per cent of the five-plus population was fully immunized and 45 per cent had three doses.
The announcement came the same day restrictions eased across the province, including the reopening of indoor dining and recreational facilities with capacity limits.
Meanwhile, the deadliest month locally of the nearly two-year pandemic has come to an end. The health unit reported the region’s 108th fatality this past weekend. Bluewater Health reported a man in his 50s died in hospital.
A total of 24 residents have died from the disease since Jan. 3.
Eighty-eight patients, including some people who lived elsewhere, have died in local hospital over the past two years.
The vaccination status of the deceased at home or in hospital has not been made available due to privacy concerns, officials have said.
Bluewater Health reported it was treating 35 COVID-positive patients Monday, with five in intensive care. Twenty-four were vaccinated and 11 were partially or unvaccinated.
The virus is causing longer waits in hospital as more people are being admitted than discharged most days, Bluewater Health officials said recently, but an outbreak inside the Sarnia hospital’s in-patient rehabilitation unit was declared over Monday.
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“Diligent infection prevention and control measures were key in helping control this outbreak. Bluewater Health is grateful for the support of all staff and professional staff, patients and family, and the community during this time,” the two-site hospital group said in a statement.
The health unit was still overseeing 13 active outbreaks. They included long-term care and retirement homes, congregate and businesses.
Ranade has repeatedly cautioned daily COVID-19 case figures are a substantial underestimate due to the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and recent changes to testing criteria.
Most COVID-19 vaccine clinics now taking walk-ins: Lambton public health - St. Thomas Times-Journal
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