BRANTFORD, ON – The Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) will be opening an additional 3,100 COVID-19 vaccine appointment spaces for adults 80 years-of-age and older, who are residents of Brant. BCHU anticipates that upwards of 85 per cent of residents in this age bracket will have received a vaccine after this set of appointments are completed.
These additional COVID-19 vaccine appointments will be available for booking beginning on March 5 at 10 a.m. The online registration link will be posted at this time at www.bchu.org/COVID19Vaccines. BCHU strongly recommends online booking. If you are unable to book online, please ask a family member, loved one or friend for assistance. If you are unable to book online, please call 519-753-4937 ext. 416. Please note, BCHU will not be providing registration assistance for the additional clinics prior to March 5 at 10 a.m. Due to high call volumes, wait times may be long. More clinics for those 80 years-of-age and older will also be announced after this set of appointments has been filled.
The current Health Unit website based appointment system is not a long-term solution and BCHU appreciates the patience of residents while we await the arrival of the provincial appointment booking system in the coming weeks. The BCHU IT team is exploring every opportunity it can to prevent issues from occurring during the appointment booking process, but challenges may remain until the Province’s system is launched in the coming weeks.
BCHU is also excited to announce that the Brant-Brantford Paramedic Community Resource Centre at 355 Henry Street (Unit 1) in Brantford will be used as an on-site/satellite clinic to assist with ensuring that Brant residents 80 years-of-age and older can continue to receive vaccinations in an efficient manner. This site has been utilized in the past to vaccinate other Phase One priority populations. This location is completely accessible and meets the criteria necessary to host an on-site/satellite clinic. BCHU would like to thank our partners at Brant-Brantford Paramedics for the use of this space and for all their efforts thus far throughout the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
BCHU wishes to let all residents know that no one in this 80 years-of-age and older group who wishes to receive vaccine will be left behind. The Health Unit expects all residents 80 years-of-age and older, who wish to receive vaccine, will have done so by the end of March. When BCHU does begin to vaccinate other age-based groups (75+, 70+, etc.), vaccine will still be offered to anyone older than those ages.
Beginning on March 5, BCHU will not be booking second dose appointments for those making appointments to receive their first dose. This change is being made to ensure flexibility should the Province’s guidance around second dose timelines change. Reminders to book second dose appointments will be sent at the appropriate time for those without a scheduled second dose appointment. If residents have a second dose appointment currently booked, it will still remain scheduled until further notice.
BCHU’s Board of Health (BOH) will hold a special meeting on Friday, March 5. The BOH will review the status of the BCHU vaccination plan, the early experiences and effectiveness of the current vaccination clinic sites and discuss strategies for any potential improvement.
To learn more about COVID-19, how you can protect yourself and what to do if you suspect you may be at risk, please visit www.bchu.org/coronavirus or visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the Province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.
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