COVID-19: Hamilton’s vaccination program not likely to change amid eligibility for fourth doses

Hamilton public health is not expecting to revert to any mass immunization clinics during Ontario’s initial roll out of fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses for those aged 60 and older, as well as some Indigenous groups aged 18 and older.

The second boosters will be available to the eligible groups as of 8 a.m. on Thursday and the city’s top doc suggests pharmacies will be the major provider of this round of vaccinations.

“NACI‘s advice had been more for the 80-plus group, but saying (jurisdictions) could extend it to lower age groups.” Dr. Elizabeth Richardson told councillors during a general issues committee meeting on Wednesday.

“Ontario decided to go with the 60-plus age group, so we’ve been asked by the province to use our current footprint for vaccine rollout.”

As of Wednesday, COVID vaccines are available in local pharmacies, Hamilton Public Health Services-led clinics and through community partner clinics – like the Lime Ridge Mall clinic, Hamilton Public Library locations at Central and Red Hill – as well as various mobile clinics.

Richardson expects clinic hours and days of operation will be adjusted as needed.

So far, those in long-term care and retirement homes in addition to immunocompromised people have had access to fourth shots.

The province moved to the fourth dose due to the presence of the new BA.2 variant and is recommending the inoculation at a five-month interval after the third dose.

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Hamilton public health says “higher than available capacity” is the reason for moving to the five-month marker as opposed to the previous three month periods for the other doses.

Richardson says she expects COVID to circulate in the community for years and her concerns revolve around how much of an effect it will have on the regional hospital network.

“It’s going to continue to be in Hamilton for … probably years, maybe longer,” said Richardson. “We need to continue to take those steps to protect ourselves against those severe outcomes and that’s where a vaccine comes in.”

Appointments for fourth doses can be booked 14 days in advance; information on how to do so is available on the city’s website.

Individuals needing a first, second or booster dose can access a COVID vaccines on a walk-in basis.

More than 1.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Hamilton as of Tuesday, with around 470,000 second doses and 292,000 third shots.

The city’s 404 average shots per day through March were off by 57 per cent compared to February’s 945 every 24 hours and distant compared to January’s average of about 4,500 shots per day.

Hamilton lags behind the provincial average, with Ontario reporting 93 per cent of those aged 12 and older as having at least a single dose and 91 per cent fully vaccinated.

Close to 88 per cent of Hamiltonians aged 12 and older have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. First-dose coverage stands at 90.4 per cent. Third-dose immunization is at 54 per cent.

In Ontario, 91 per cent of people aged 12-plus are fully vaccinated. First dose coverage stands at 92.9 per cent. Third dose immunization is at 55.7 per cent — more than 7.2 million Ontarians have received a booster shot.

Fifty-three per cent of children aged five to 11 have had at least one dose of a vaccine in Hamilton, with second doses at just over 37 per cent. The numbers are on par with the provincial rates in that age group, which stand at 55.7 per cent and 33.7 per cent, respectively.

Youth in the 12-17 age bracket represents the group with the second-lowest of the vaccination rates, according to city data. Just over 86 per cent have had a single dose, 82 per cent have had a second shot and just 14 per cent have had a third.

Hamilton has been seeing an increase in daily COVID-related hospitalizations moving from a seven-day average of about two cases per day to around three as of April 1.

However, the city’s two networks are reporting a similar number of COVID patients month over month with 47 needing hospital care as of Wednesday – the same number reported on this day in March.

Fewer than five patients are in intensive care units (ICU). There were six reported by Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and St. Joe’s combined 30 days ago.

Ontario is reporting 1,074 people in hospital with COVID as of April 6, with 168 in ICUs.

This is down by 17 hospitalizations but a decrease of five in ICUs since the previous day. Last Wednesday, there were 778 hospitalizations with 165 in ICU.

The number of Hamilton hospital staff isolating for COVID-19 has increased significantly since early March, with 728 off work as of Wednesday.

Combined, the hospitals reported just under 250 affected workers 30 days ago.

Hamilton public health reported a weekly case positivity rate of 16.4 per cent on Wednesday, generally on par with the province’s 18 per cent as of April 6.

The city had a rate of 11.6 per cent a month ago.

Institutional outbreaks across the city are also up over the last 30 days to 16 confirmed surges involving 151 total cases as of Wednesday. A month ago, there were just under 100 cases connected with seven outbreaks.

At least 100 of the current outbreak cases are at homes with seniors. Long-term care homes account for 74 of those.

There have been six more COVID-related deaths in Hamilton since early March, bringing the pandemic fatalities total to 529 as of Wednesday. That includes six that were rolled back by the city in March due to not meeting COVID-related criteria.