Waterloo Region launches mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics

Waterloo Region says its mobile vaccination clinic will be in action for the first time on Tuesday as it heads to three long-term-care homes in the area to provide the first round of shots to residents.

“We are excited to launch the mobile clinic program, which is a vital step to ensuring more people in our community receive the COVID-19 immunization,” said Waterloo Regional Police Deputy Chief Shirley Hilton, who is in charge of the region’s vaccination task force.

“Mobile clinics will be able to reach long-term care homes quickly and safely to ensure the health and wellness of residents and staff.”

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The agency did not specify which homes have been chosen for the initial run of the mobile clinic.

A spokesperson for Waterloo Public Health told Global News that around 250 people are expected to be vaccinated at the homes on Tuesday.

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She said the homes were being prioritized based on these factors:

• density and physical layout of the home (older homes built with more ward style rooms are at greater risk for spread and lack space for isolation and distancing)
• size of the home (larger homes are at greater risk of spread due to population size)
• homes currently in outbreak cannot have staff or residents vaccinated until the outbreak is cleared

The region says Waterloo Public Health has been contacting long-term homes in an effort to set up vaccination clinics.

It says that the lifting of cold storage restrictions on the Pfizer vaccine allowed vaccinations to take place outside of the clinic at Grand River Hospital.