The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is closing its mass immunization clinics in Lindsay and Cobourg by the end of February.
The clinic at the Lindsay Exhibition will close on Friday, February 25th and the clinic at Cobourg Community Centre will close on Saturday, February 26th. The health unit says the two mass immunization clinics are no longer needed as most eligible residents in the region have already received their booster doses.
Instead, the health unit will offer in-house clinics at its office locations at 108 Angeline Street South in Lindsay and 200 Rose Glen Road in Port Hope, with dates and times to be announced. Clinics located in Fenelon Falls and Minden will continue to run once a week until Thursday, March 24th.
“As of today, 85.8 per cent of people within the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District have been vaccinated with their first dose and 82.4 per cent with their second dose,” says medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking in a media release. “Our booster dose coverage for people aged 18 years and older has also topped 60 per cent.”
“The daily number of new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases continues to decline, and other indicators are trending in the right direction,” she adds. “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.”
Walk-ins for first, second, and booster doses (if eligible) are available for anyone five and older at the health unit’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland, and Haliburton, with both mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) available.
For a list of clinic locations, dates, and times, visit www.hkpr.on.ca/.
As of 8 a.m. on Friday (February 18), the Ontario government is expanding booster dose eligibility to youth aged 12 to 17. Appointments will be booked for approximately six months (168 days) after a second dose. To be eligible for a booster dose or a fourth dose (if eligible), at least 84 days must have passed since your most recent 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 says. “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.”
