Hamilton ramps up COVID-19 vaccination capacity for booster doses
- Michael Kras
- 17 Dec 2021
As the Omicron variant continues to surge across Ontario, the City of Hamilton has announced its immediate plans to ramp up vaccine capacity to get booster shots to residents as quickly as possible.
The move comes following the Ontario government’s announcement that they would be opening appointments for third booster doses to all residents ages 18 and up starting on Monday, December 20th; sooner than the province’s originally announced date of January 4th, 2022.
With rising case numbers and the increasing presence of the Omicron variant in Ontario, Hamilton healthcare partners are increasing local capacity to administer more first, second, third and booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines.
Release >> https://t.co/bPBd17WY8L pic.twitter.com/SKGmbDHjF8
— City of Hamilton (@cityofhamilton) December 16, 2021
Booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have shown to provide robust renewed immunity, including against the wildly infectious Omicron variant that is rapidly taking hold in Ontario.
In order to get as many Hamilton residents their booster shots as quickly as possible amid this unprecedented new wave of the pandemic, the city is reopening many of its large-scale vaccine clinics and adding numerous other pop-ups.
These include vaccine clinics at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s West 5th Campus, the Centre on Barton, Lime Ridge Mall, Hamilton Health Sciences West End Clinic, Winterberry Family Medicine, and various pharmacies throughout the city.
The city is also continuing its partnership with multiple community organizations to get vaccines to local shelter populations, racialized residents, and Indigenous residents.
Booster doses will be available through appointment only and can be booked through the city’s online booking portal or through participating pharmacies. Residents can also call 905-974-9848, option 7 to book an appointment.
“Hamilton and all of Ontario face an anticipated surge of Omicron cases in the coming days and weeks,” says Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Hamilton’s Medical Officer of Health.
“In response to this urgent situation, City staff and healthcare practitioners from across our community are stepping up to get more COVID-19 doses in arms, however vaccinating 320,000 community members is going to be an uphill battle based on strained health care human resources.”
Read the full release on the city website.
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