Waterloo COVID-19 pre-registration opens up to groups with health complications

Waterloo Region has opened COVID-19 vaccine pre-registration for residents with health conditions that are considered to be at the highest risk and high risk for complications from the virus.

The portal is also now open for essential caregivers of those who are in the highest risk group as well as some who are in the high-risk group.

These essential caregivers are people who help others with health conditions with their daily living.

“We’re very encouraged that we are able to begin pre-registering people with chronic health conditions that the Province has identified as being at highest and high risk for complications from COVID-19,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region’s medical officer of health.

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“Anyone with questions about their health condition and the COVID-19 vaccine should seek the advice of their health care provider.”

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The highest-risk group includes organ transplant recipients, hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients and those with kidney disease.

It also includes people with neurological diseases in which respiratory function may be compromised (e.g., motor neuron disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis) and those with a hematological malignancy diagnosed less than a year ago.

The high-risk group includes those who are obese with a body mass index over 40, those with treatments causing immunosuppression (e.g., chemotherapy, medications that weaken immunity) and those with intellectual or developmental disabilities such as Down syndrome.

“Primary care providers and specialists have an important role to play in supporting their patients to pre-register for the vaccine, said Dr. Sharon Bal, primary care physician lead with the region’s vaccine task force.

“We are working closely with public health to ensure those with the highest-risk and high-risk conditions are prioritized for the vaccine.”

The region says the fastest way to get pre-registered is on its website.