Public health officials in Chatham-Kent are gearing up a massive vaccination effort, as the province moves to expand eligibility for booster shots starting on Monday.
Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said health officials are currently working to expand the vaccination area at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre clinic in Chatham to meet the demand for the booster shot. Additional personnel are also being hired to accommodate more vaccination appointments.
“We’ve got to mount a massive vaccination effort to accomplish this, and I think we’re going to have to vaccinate more people in a shorter period of time than at any point in our vaccination campaign,” said Colby. “It’s a real challenge and we’re up for it.”
Starting on Monday, all Ontarians aged 18 and over are eligible to book their booster shot three months after their second dose of the vaccine. Originally, booster shots were to be made available to those 18 and older starting January 4. As well, the interval between the second and third dose of the vaccine has been shortened from six months to three months.
The Ontario government announced the accelerated timeline on Wednesday in response to growing concerns surrounding the Omicron variant and the sharp increase in cases of COVID-19 across Ontario.
Colby said he believes the province has made the right decision to reduce the interval between the second dose of the vaccine and the booster.
“Trying to find a balance between getting the third dose sooner so that people are protected, yet long enough to optimize the immune response is a challenge,” he said. “I think the three-month booster is an excellent balance.”
Colby said he encourages anyone who is unable to find a date to book a booster shot to keep checking the website for updates with newly available time slots. He said the health unit continues to add booster shot clinics every day.
He added that booking a booster shot will remain by appointment only, for now. No walk-ins are being accepted at this time.