Vaccinations picking up in HPE

The delivery of COVID-19 Vaccines at Loyalist College began Monday as Phase 1 of the vaccine roll out continues.

Ann Marie Vaughan, President and CEO Loyalist College at the Loyalist College COVID-19 vaccine clinic (Photo: Ben Quaiff, Loyalist College)

Most of the current appointments at Loyalist will be filled by long term care and high-risk retirement home staff and essential caregivers, but Hastings Prince Edward Medical Officer of Health Dr. Piotr Oglaza says the college will remain a primary vaccination site for the duration of the vaccine rollout.

“For today there are only 143 appointments but tomorrow it’s going to be 388 and then eventually we’ll go up to 1000 appointments per day.”

Dr Piotr Oglaza, Medical Officer of Health and CEO, HPEPH at the Loyalist College COVID-19 vaccine clinic (Photo: Ben Quaiff, Loyalist College)

Dr. Oglaza says there will be other clinics scattered across the two counties as the vaccination program expands.

Each group will be specifically identified and notified in advance to plan for vaccination with information to be posted to the HPEPH website, social media, shared with local media, and distributed through health care and community partners.

In a separate vaccination project, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health is one of six public health units across Ontario that will be part of this week’s “soft launch” of the province’s website for booking COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

Dr. Oglaza says it’s to give the booking system a test run before the online portal is set to be up and running across the province later this month.

Public health officials will reach out to a small number of residents who are 80 or older, as well as some eligible health-care workers.

“So these individuals are now getting the personalized, individual invitations to test out the provincial booking pilot and if they’re successful they will be able to select one of the clinic spots available.”

Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington is also on that list.

Dr. Oglaza adds another 3,510 doses of the vaccine are due to arrive this week and despite a slow start, the vaccination process is really starting to move along.

“We’re going to see a significant acceleration in all the vaccines coming and appointments being offered and different groups added so we will see a significant change in the coming weeks. What I’m asking individuals is still to have a little bit more patience. It is coming. It’s not there yet but it will be there very soon.”

Dr. Oglaza says as of Monday, 796 people within Hastings Prince Edward have already received both doses of the vaccine.