Hamilton bumping up COVID-19 vaccine capacity at Mountain clinic amid new booster eligibility

With Ontario’s top doc expanding fourth COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, Hamilton Public Health (HPH) is set to ramp up it’s shot capacity at at least one outlet starting Thursday.

Following Dr. Kieron Moore’s announcement Wednesday, allowing for those aged 18 through 59 to take on a second booster, the city’s health officials will increase the daily rate of doses at the LimeRidge Mall clinic from 160 doses per day to 250.

Appointments for fourth doses through HPH will launch Thursday at 8 a.m. and may precipitate delays due to a large segment of the population becoming eligible for a booster.

“Due to a high volume of newly-eligible individuals — upwards of 160,000 — community members should check back daily for available appointments,” HPH spokesperson James Berry said in an e-mail.

Hamiltonians with an Ontario health card are being urged to use the city’s online portal to book 14 days in advance, while those without a card can reach out to HPH’s COVID-19 vaccine hotline at 905-974-9848, option 7.

Those who need a first, second or third dose can still get one without an appointment on a walk-in basis.

Mobile pop-up vaccination clinics will continue to have capacity of up to 100 doses per clinic, per day.

Ontario’s GO-VAXX bus clinics in Hamilton will also stay at up to 150 doses per day.

Individuals between the ages of five and 29 will get the Pfizer vaccine. Pfizer or Moderna shots will be offered to those 30-plus.

So far, an estimated 1.3 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the city with 87.8 per cent of Hamiltonians aged five years and older having chosen to receive at least one shot.

Only about 55.5 per cent of Hamiltonians aged 12 years and older have received a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, as of July 11.

About 36.5 per cent have chosen to receive a fourth dose. An estimated 60,000 community members aged 60-plus have yet to receive a fourth dose, according to HPH.

2:31 Ontario expands 4th COVID vaccine doses amid 7th wave

• Ontario expands 4th COVID vaccine doses amid 7th wave
• COVID-19: 2nd booster dose ‘not absolutely necessary’ for young, healthy adults, Moore says
• COVID-19 rapid tests to continue to be available free of charge in Ontario through end of year: Moore
• COVID-19: Ontario opens eligibility for 4th vaccine shot to people aged 18 to 59
• Adults 18 to 59 eligible for fourth COVID-19 dose starting July 14

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Public Health Ontario says the peak of the current seventh wave will hit in the next two weeks.

Moore said the highly infectious BA.5 Omicron subvariant is now the dominant strain based on Ontario wastewater data, test positivity, hospitalization and ICU admissions.

However, he also said the wave appears to be on a slower trajectory compared to previous waves and is expected to be less severe.

“Your risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes at a population level is very, very low,” Moore said at a Queen’s Park press conference on Wednesday.

He also went on to say public health is not considering re-implementation of public health measures, such as mask mandates.

Last week, five of Hamilton Public Health’s key COVID-19 monitoring indicators showed increasing trends, including the seven-day average of new cases, which has moved from 33 reported in mid-June to 62 per day on July 3.

Active institutional outbreaks have essentially doubled from the eight reported on June 21 to 19 as of July 5. Wastewater viral signals detecting COVID-19 in samples have been steadily increasing since June 1, closing in on levels seen in the initial Omicron wave in mid-January.

Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson told Global News last Thursday that keeping up to date with vaccines is a “critical” measure.

She also suggested Hamiltonians reconsider the use of masks indoors.

“We do need to wear masks at times,” Richardson said. “We’re going to need to see what’s going on in our community and look at wearing masks when we’re in crowded places.”