The Ottawa area's weekly COVID-19 vaccination checkup: Dec. 23

Highlights:

• All Ontario adults are able and encouraged to get a third dose.
• Local health units don't all have the resources to do that.
• Quebec opts for a smaller third dose age expansion.
• There's a Pfizer-BioNTech shipment delay in some areas.

Every Thursday, CBC Ottawa brings youthisroundup of COVID-19 vaccinationdevelopments throughoutthe region. You can find more information through links at the bottom of the page.

There have been more than4.1 milliondoses administered in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region, more than 180,000of themin the last week as the pace significantlypicks back up to levels last seen in the second half of July.

This checkupis goingon hiatus for the holidaysafter this edition.

Provincial picture

The fast-spreading Omicron variant hitting during the holidayshas pressed people and governments into action on several fronts, including rules, testing and the focus of these weekly updates,the vaccine campaign.

After lowering the general age range for third doses from people 70 and older topeople in their 50s and 60s last Monday, Ontario made more changes.

It cut the general time between a second and third dose in half from 168 to 84 days, allowed people 18 and over to get a third dose under that new timeline at pharmacies as of Friday, and opened provincial clinic appointments to ages 18 to 49 this past Monday.

Many health units can't find staff to keep up with the deluge of demand. Their specific situations and responses are detailed below.

WATCH |Long lines for Ottawa vaccineseven before 18+ eligibility:

Ottawa residents face two-hour wait at vaccine clinic, even with appointments

3 years ago

Duration 0:54

Ottawa residents with appointments to get COVID-19 vaccines reported long waits at the Minto Sports Complex Thursday, just days before the province will expand third-dose eligibility to all Ontarians over the age of 18.

Quebec has made more strict rule changes than Ontario and has lowered its general third dose age to 65. It drops to 60 on Monday.

Eighty-nine per cent of Quebec residents age fiveand uphave had at least one dose and 81per cent are fully vaccinated.

About 86percent of Ontario residents born in 2016 and earlierhave at least one vaccine dose, while about 81per centare fully vaccinated.

Moderna said preliminarylab tests showed the half-dose booster shot increased by 37 times the level of so-called neutralizing antibodies able to fight Omicron. Afull-dose booster triggeredan 83-fold jump in antibody levels, although with an increase in the usual side-effects.

Pharmacists burnt out as provinces expand COVID-19 booster eligibility

3 years ago

Duration 2:02

Pharmacists say they're feeling burnt out and overwhelmed trying to meet vaccine demand as provinces expand eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots.

Ottawa

Ottawa Public Health doesn't have enough trained people to give vaccines to the hundreds of thousands of residents that have recently become eligible, and asksresidents for patience.

"It has been especially challenging to recruit a significant number of immunizers in short order," wrote the city's emergency services general manager in a weekend memo.

It's releasing batches of appointments when it can, including at a new EY Centre clinic,and has stopped offering walk-in vaccines for third doses.

The last after-school drop-in clinicsfor younger children on OPH's scheduleare Thursday atcole lmentaire catholique Laurier-Carrire,Elmdale Public School andWest Carleton Secondary School. Third doses aren't available here.

Isolation guidance has changed, regardless of vaccination status.

The capitalstill has regularandpop-up clinicsfor anyone eligible to get a first, second or third dose, as well asneighbourhood vaccine hubs,and it'sbringing mobile vaccine clinics to workplaceswho request it.

About1.9milliondoses have now been given to Ottawa residents.

Of the city's total population of just over one million, 85per cent of residents have had at least one dose, including 89 per cent of residents born in 2016or earlier.

Seventy-eightper centof the total population is fully vaccinated, as are 82per centof thepopulation age five and older.

More than 190,000 residents have had a third dose.

Western Quebec

CISSSOcontinues to list recurring,mobile and pop-upclinics online. People are urged to make an appointment through the online system, but there are a few walk-in options for first, second and third doses over the holidays.

The Outaouais has distributed nearly 666,000 dosescombined first, second and third among a population of about 386,000.

Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington

It and three other health units below say there's been a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shipment delay and it has to save its Pfizer doses for people age 12 to 29 to follow the province's recommendations.

Older people may be offered a Modernavaccine. The disruption doesn't affect the pediatric Pfizer vaccine for chidren ages five to 11.

The health unitisoffering shots to younger kids and third dosesat three main clinics by appointment only, with walk-ins for other kinds of shots on some days.

WATCH | The load vaccinations haveput on some pharmacists:

There are appointment-only clinics for children ages five to 11 at theNapanee Community Health Centre Thursday evening andRegiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School Dec. 30.

Itshares the latest vaccination informationonline and on its social feeds.

About 90 per cent of its population age fiveand older has at least one vaccine dose and about 83 per cent of that groupisfully vaccinated.

The region has had nearly 400,000 vaccine doses combined first, second and third given to residents.

More than 52 per cent of the region's approximately 13,000 recentlyeligible children have been vaccinated.More than 51,000 residents have had a third dose.

Eastern Ontario Health Unit

The EOHUstill hadhundreds of vaccination slots available in December as of Tuesday night, said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis.

Hesaid Wednesday one of the local challenges is not having the same access to the (now-iced over) pads of arenasthe EOHUdid in the summer, butit's having success finding doctors and other qualified vaccinators to help give shots next month.

WATCH | Roumeliotis' weekly update:

The health unitisn't allowing walk-in vaccinations to reduce wait times and support distancing, and itis also affected by that Pfizer shipment.

Details for itsvaccine clinics are regularly shared on its website and social media. It prefers people try a pharmacy or family doctor for their third dose before a community clinic.

More than 369,000 vaccine doses have been administered, including more than29,000 third doses.

About 86per cent ofresidents five and older arepartially vaccinated, including about 37 per cent of its five-to-11 population,and about 80per cent are fully vaccinated.

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark

LGLin a news release said it's been prioritizing third shots for people older than 50 because they're at the highest risk of severe COVID-19 problems and for recently eligible children who don't have any vaccine protection.

The health unit said it could takeuntil March for it to be able to get everyone eligible a third dose. Its local booking system was designed for a gradual expansion, not this large one. It doesn't use the provincial system.

Those eligible for a third dose are also encouraged to try a pharmacy in this region first to save room in its clinics for those priority groups.

The unit ishaving to manage its Pfizer supply.

Clinic locations and hours arelisted online and on social media; space for walk-ins may open up from time to time and they'll share it online if it does. Otherwise, it's not administering walk-in vaccinations.

There will beclinics forpeopleage five to 25 in Brockville Dec. 29 and Smiths Falls Dec.30.

The health unit hasgiven more than 338,000 doses to residents, which now includes about 31,000 third doses.

It is seeing 92per cent of itspopulation age five and up with at least one doseand about 87per cent of those residents have at least twodoses.

About 44per cent of its children born between 2010 and 2016 have had a first dose.

Hastings Prince Edward

This is the other health unit that's said it's affected by the Pfizer shipment, andanother area that's had to make wide changes to its isolation plan because of record case counts.

Appointments in Belleville andPictonare by appointment only.Bancroft's vaccinations are being handled by the local health team.

Otheroptions are listedonthe health unit'swebsite.

About 297,000doses have been administered to this area's residents, including about 26,000 third doses.

Eighty-six per cent of thelocal population age five and older has had at least has a first dose, including about 4,400 doses for kids age five to 11. Seventy-nineper cent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.

Renfrew County

The health unitregularly shares clinic information online. It said over the weekend too many people were trying to get a walk-in vaccination.

The Pembroke vaccination clinic is moving to a larger location at100 Crandall St.starting Thursday. The health unit says it will nearly quadruple its dosing capacity.

Renfrew County's health unit hasdistributed nearly 167,000 doses as of its last update on Dec. 13.

Ninety per centof its population above age 12, including military at Garrison Petawawa,haveat least a first dose and about 87per cent are fully vaccinated. Younger children aren't yet included in this data.