Lambton COVID-19 Immunization Task Force Update – April 6

Point Edward, ON – The Lambton COVID-19 Immunization Task Force met Tuesday, April 6 to discuss updates to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan in Lambton County. Here are some highlights from the meeting:

A total of 28,495 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. That represents 25 percent of the eligible population in Lambton County who have received one or more doses.

Lambton Public Health (LPH) has organized Phase 2 of the Provincial vaccine rollout into four main categories – Age, Setting, Sector and Medical. Here is an update on the region’s current status for each:

• Age: Earlier today, the Province of Ontario opened registration for individuals who are 60-69 years of age (or who are turning 60 in 2021). To register go to LPH’s vaccination registration page.
  • Registration and pre-registration also continues for the following:
    • Individuals 70 years of age and older plus one in-home caregiver who resides in the same household
    • Healthcare workers (as identified in Phase 1)
    • Urban Indigenous adults
    • Adult recipients of chronic home care plus one in-home caregiver who resides in the same household
• Setting: LPH is working with congregate care facilities/settings (including homeless shelters and group homes, etc.) to organize vaccination clinics for these groups.
• Sector: LPH opened pre-registration last Monday for the first group in this category (essential frontline workers who cannot work from home) which includes elementary/secondary school staff and Lambton College teachers conducting in-person instruction, childcare and licensed foster care workers, faith leaders who provide end of life care, agriculture/farming and food manufacturing workers, etc.
• Medical: Individuals with specific health conditions along with one essential caregiver are now eligible to pre-register for their vaccinations.
  • If you are a person with one or more of the health conditions outlined in the Province’s prioritization of Phase 2 populations, please contact your primary healthcare provider. LPH has developed a referral form for all local primary care providers to assess eligibility of their patients directly.

Two rural pop-up community clinics are being held on April 7 at the Brigden Fairgrounds (Main Exhibition Hall), and April 14 at the Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood Community Centre. Both of these clinics are now fully booked.

Three pharmacies in Lambton County are starting to offer the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine to individuals who are 55 years of age and older this week as part of the Province’s pilot program. The local pharmacies include Loblaws/Superstore Pharmacy on Murphy Road in Sarnia, Bright’s Grove Family Pharmacy and Forest Pharmacy. Further information and locations for all participating pharmacies can be found on the Ontario Government’s website. Note: this program is being developed and implemented by the Province and pharmacies directly. Lambton Public Health has no direct involvement in the delivery of this pilot program.

In the past two weeks, around 1400 vaccines have been delivered to patients with chronic conditions by participating primary care practice groups through the primary care pilot project. It is expected more immunizations will be delivered through primary care providers as vaccines such as AstraZeneca become available. An initial allocation of 400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been allocated to Lambton County. Some of these will be used by the Mobile Immunization Team to immunize adult recipients of chronic home care, and others will be distributed through primary care partners.

The City of Sarnia continues to work closely with LPH to build an additional mass immunization clinic at the Clearwater Arena. Dependent on vaccine supply, this additional site will serve to increase the region’s overall capacity for vaccine distribution.

Visit GetTheVaccine.ca for the latest updates on the vaccine roll-out plan in Lambton County.

-30-

Please contact:

LPH Media Inquiries

The Lambton COVID-19 Immunization Task Force is a group dedicated to the safe, comprehensive, effective, efficient and equitable rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in Lambton County. Led by Lambton Public Health, the group consists of key stakeholders critical to the success of the plan including: Bluewater Health, Emergency Medical Services, Primary Care, Community Emergency Management Coordinators from the City of Sarnia, Village of Point Edward and County of Lambton, Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, and Walpole Island First Nation.  The Task Force works to make vaccinations available to eligible populations in alignment with the Province of Ontario's COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan.