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With at least two confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the Peterborough area, the health unit has added 5,500 extra appointments for booster shots and is publicly calling on qualified vaccinators and administrators to offer their time to reach even more of a demand.
The news comes as medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott, with Peterborough Public Health, confirmed the third local COVID-19-related death this month, this time involving a 40-something unvaccinated man. Piggott said the two confirmed Omicron cases were not related.
“This was something that we knew was coming, so this is not surprising,” he said on Tuesday afternoon (Dec. 14).
“Omicron has become the dominant strain in Ontario, and we know that it is so transmissible that up to eight times as many people may be infected as compared to the previous strains circulating.”
Just a day earlier, the health unit issued two Omicron-related statements, the first calling for area employers to shift all non-essential employees to remote work arrangements, except where on-site presence is required. The second statement referred to new restrictions for those seeking to eat in local restaurants, including a cap on table capacity.
Piggott said there has been conversation and attention as to whether Omicron is less severe than previous strains. “Unfortunately, it is too early to know for sure, because severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths tend to lag behind and tend to affect more vulnerable populations after affecting more healthy populations.”
He said they will be watching this closely, but for now they are focusing on making it easier for those eligible to receive their third or “booster” vaccination.
“Vaccination remains our most important tool. With Omicron, we’ve seen that if you only have two doses of the vaccine, protection drops dramatically. However, very encouragingly, a third dose booster is very effective against Omicron.” Many of those 50 and over became eligible for booster shots as of Dec. 13 and the health unit is hoping as many of them as possible quickly seek out the opportunity to boost their immunity.
“I have told our team and given our community an ambitious target of a fivefold increase in the number of vaccinations that we attempt to do over the coming weeks as compared to what we were originally planning.
“I can confirm today we’re launching 5,500 additional appointments, and so if you have been trying to get an appointment for your third dose booster and have not been able to, to date, please keep checking back.”
Currently, booster shots are available by appointment only, either through local participating pharmacies or at the mass clinics held at Peterborough’s Healthy Planet Arena on Monaghan Road. But Piggott said the health unit is looking at several additional sites, including in the city, as well as a rotating team in the county that would be in a different community every day.
“We’re both extending the hours of our current mass immunization clinic site and are also taking on additional locations, and this will all be contingent on getting more help.”
He said they are expecting a significant demand, so a public call has been put out for extra help.
“We’re also turning to the community and were seeking help from volunteers as well. People who can serve as vaccinators, health-care providers and administrators to help with our vaccination clinics. This is all hands on deck.”
He said if you are interested in helping and supporting, please visit the Peterborough Public Health careers page online.
“We have links for expressing your interest and we need all the help that we can get.”
