The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has announced it will be cancelling appointments for second doses of COVID-19 vaccine that have been booked for after the Civic Holiday long weekend at vaccination clinic sites in Minden, Cobourg, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford.
In a media release issued Monday (July 26), the health unit is asking all residents with second-dose appointments for August through November made through the provincial booking system at those clinics to immediately rebook their appointments to an earlier date or to visit a walk-in clinic to get their second dose.
“With ample COVID-19 vaccine supply and many vacant appointments this week, we are asking people not to delay getting their second dose,” says Dr. Natalie Bocking, the health unit’s medical officer of health.
As of Monday (August 3), the health unit will cancel all second-dose appointments from the provincial booking system made for August, September, October, and November at its COVID-19 vaccination clinic sites in Minden, Cobourg, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford.
The health unit states it is urging anyone age 12 years and older to get their second vaccine dose as soon as possible, since the more infectious delta variant is now the most common strain of COVID-19 in Ontario.
“As fall arrives, we expect to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in our area,” Dr. Bocking says. “People who have not received both doses of their COVID-19 vaccine will be most at risk, so the sooner everyone is fully vaccinated, the better our communities will be protected.”
The health unit states residents have a number of ways to get their second dose:
- Reschedule your second-dose appointment using the provincial booking system online at ontario.ca/book-vaccine or by calling 1-833-943-3900. The health unit has many appointments available for the rest of July and more appointments are being posted for August. All clinics will be offering both types of mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna).
- Walk in to a health unit COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Cobourg, Minden, Fenelon Falls, and Campbellford. A drive-in vaccination clinic is also offered at the Lindsay Exhibition site in Lindsay run by Ross Memorial Hospital. No appointment is necessary for these clinics. For locations and dates, visit hkpr.on.ca/2021/04/30/vaccination-clinics/.
- Sign up for a standby list at health unit COVID-19 vaccine clinics and you will be contacted if there are extra COVID-19 doses available near the end of the day at a clinic. Visit hkpr.on.ca/2021/06/27/covid-190-vaccine-standby-list/ for full instructions.
- Check with your primary care provider to see about getting vaccinated. Many family health teams and community health centres in the area are providing doses.
- Contact a local pharmacy to get vaccinated. Select pharmacies in the area are offering mRNA vaccines, and appointments can be made directly with the pharmacy. Visit covid-19.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations to search pharmacies by town, postal code, and vaccine type.
“We appreciate everyone’s understanding to rebook second dose appointments earlier or walk in for a vaccine,” says Dr. Booking. “Getting needles into more arms as quickly as possible is the best way to fight COVID-19 and the delta variant.”
