Health units want seniors to book vaccines locally

WINDSOR-ESSEX — The Ontario provincial booking system for COVID-19 vaccines launched Monday morning at 8 a.m.

Adults 80 years of age and older throughout the province will be guided to either make an appointment through the new provincial booking system, or to their local public health unit if there is already a booking system or call centre in place.

Since Thursday, February 25, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) has had an online pre-registration form available for residents 80 years and older and a call centre in place (519-251-4072). There will not be a change to the local process.

Once Windsor and Essex County adults 80 years of age and older provide their information in the local pre-registration form, individuals will be randomly selected and then contacted to book their appointments at either the Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU) Centre clinic in Windsor or the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre (NFFRC) clinic in Leamington.

A third and fourth option for adults 80 years of age and older will be available at the St. Clair College SportsPlex and downtown Windsor at the Windsor Hall (former Windsor Star building), who will be scheduling our 80+ seniors to receive vaccinations beginning the week of March 22.

These targeted vaccination clinics are by appointment only and pre-registration through a single dedicated online pre-registration form is required.

Based on the current progress, the WE- CHU anticipates that most of the 13,000+ pre-registrants who are 80 years of age and older will be booked to receive their first dose of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine by the end of March.

Eligible residents who have not yet pre-registered for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment are encouraged to do so.

As of March 14, there have been 42,640 total (first and second doses combined) vaccine doses administered in Windsor-Essex County since the first Pfizer BioNTech vaccine was administered at the St. Clair College Sportsplex by Windsor Regional Hospital on Tuesday, December 22, 2020.

Windsor and Essex County is making significant progress in vaccinating priority populations identified in Phase 1 of the provincial government’s 3 phase vaccine distribution plan between the targeted vaccination clinics in Windsor and Leamington, the St. Clair College SportsPlex, and targeted mobile clinics being coordinated by Essex-Windsor EMS and the WECHU.

With the addition of local pharmacies providing the AstraZeneca/COVISH- IELD vaccine in select Windsor and Essex County pharmacies to eligible adults aged 60-64 who are interested in booking an appointment as part of the provincial pilot program, more and more Windsor and Essex County residents are gaining access to a vaccine.

As more COVID-19 vaccines are provided to our region and more vaccination clinics and sites become operational, we must continue to practice public health measures to help prevent further spread of COVID-19 in our community:

1. Maintain a 2 metre distance from others.

2. Limit your contacts to your household only.

3. Wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly and often.

4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

5. Use a medical or non-medical mask (e.g, cloth) in public settings.

6. Cover mouth & nose with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze.

7. Stay home and do not go to work or school if you are sick.

CHATHAM-KENT — Residents in Chatham-Kent are also encouraged to use the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit’s booking methods.

If you are 75 or older and reside in Chatham-Kent, you can now book your vaccine appointment at 519-351-1010 or email getyourshot@chatham-kent.ca for more information on the various booking methods.

Chatham-Kent is currently in the Phase 1 A/B stage of vaccinations.

Chatham-Kent is not currently part of the pilot project for residents between 60 and 64 to have vaccines at local pharmacies.