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For 21 months now Northwestern Ontario has dealt with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic from lockdowns, restrictions, vaccines, and everything in between.
Volunteers, and staff, of the Northwestern Health Unit and partnering health agencies have worked tirelessly to open up mass immunization clinics, administer vaccines, and keep up with the ongoing changes through the pandemic.
Dr. Kit Young Hoon, Medical Officer of Health for the NWHU expressed her gratitude of the hard work her staff has done through the pandemic at a media briefing on Tuesday.
“The staff are exhausted, they’re tired and I’m very thankful that I work with amazing people every single day to go above and beyond for the health of their population,” said Young Hoon.
She added that the hope was for volunteers and staff to get some relief over the Christmas break, but the emergence of the Omicron variant has forced the health unit to shift.
“We’ve have had to ramp up mass immunization clinics and ask staff to voluntarily give up vacation and participate in mass immunization clinics. We’ve asked that internally, we’re asking that of partners as well.”
Young Hoon mentioned the clinics have always functioned with combined efforts of NWHU staff, staff of other health agencies, and other non-profit volunteer groups.
“We are re requesting from our own staff as well as other agencies to support mass immunization efforts over the next two weeks as well as into January in the hope that we can get ahead of any negative effects of the Omicron variant.”
The NWHU is encouraging anyone that hasn’t received their third dose to book their appointment through the health unit's online booking system.
Third doses are open to those aged 50+, if it's been over 24 weeks, or 168 days, since their second dose. Starting today, eligibility opens for those aged 18 years of age and older as long as it's been at least 3 months or 84 days since your second dose of the vaccine.
The NWHU is reporting 15.7 per cent of those 12 and older that are eligible have received their third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.