With vaccine coverage increasing and mass-immunization clinics ramping down, partners and supporters of the South Georgian Bay Ontario Health Team (SGB OHT), including the County of Simcoe, South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, and the Collingwood Fire Department have gone door-to-door in Collingwood in the past week to make the COVID-19 vaccine as accessible as possible to those not yet vaccinated and those needing their second dose.
“We’re all working together to make it as easy as possible for those few remaining unvaccinated people to have access to the vaccine,” says Dr. Harry O’Halloran, SGB OHT Chair. “The COVID vaccines are safe and extremely effective. They are the best way to keep our community safe, especially as children (who can’t yet be vaccinated) return to school.”
Fire trucks were parked on County of Simcoe managed properties and the Collingwood Fire department went door-to-door offering the vaccine and providing additional information to those who had questions. The pop-up clinics were possible thanks to the generators on those trucks, which kept the vaccines at the right temperature.
“We’re focusing on those in the Collingwood community who may not have otherwise been able to access the vaccine at mass-immunization clinics, and to provide additional education and information about the vaccine when needed,” says Yen Phan, Manager of Clinical Services for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. “We’ve been knocking door-to-door and inviting people to get their shot. For people with mobility issues, we were also administering vaccines in people’s homes.”
This initiative is a result of the SGB OHT shared community response to COVID-19, which has been ongoing since the beginning of the pandemic. It is a true collaboration between partners and supporters of the SGB OHT. Various community partners have been meeting regularly to provide direction and oversight to the COVID-19 response, including vaccine availability and distribution, and this is one of the initiatives that has resulted from that collaboration.
“This really is about access to vaccines. Some people may not be able to get to a mass immunization clinic for a variety of reasons, whether it’s mobility or transportation or work and other commitments,” says Heather Klein-Gebbinck, Executive Director of the South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre. “Our goal is to keep everyone safe and protected from COVID-19 and to make the vaccine as available and accessible as possible to those that are eligible to receive it.“
The SGB OHT strongly recommends that everyone who is eligible be vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccines are safe and effective and full vaccination is the best prevention against serious illness, hospitalization and death. Vaccinations are the best way to protect those most vulnerable in our community including frail seniors and children under 12 years of age. Click here to view the Simcoe Muskoka COVID-19 vaccine clinic schedule.
“The 4th wave of COVID-19 is here. The Delta variant is spreading quickly, and it is here in our communities. For your own safety, your loved ones and the protection of those who can’t yet get vaccinated, I urge you to get your shot as soon as possible” says Dr. Mark Quigg Infection Control Lead of Collingwood General and Marine Hospital. “Vaccinations are safe and effective and are our best protection against this deadly virus.”