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Push is on in Elgin and Oxford counties to reach vaccine holdouts

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Ingersoll, Ont. -

The push is on in Elgin and Oxford counties to reach the unvaccinated or the partially vaccinated.

Southwestern Public Health is hosting a series of pop-up clinics through the the region all through the week.

Ingersoll resident Dave Hatch could be found at his local pop-up clinic on Friday, being held at the Ingersoll and District Memorial Arena. He says the whole process only took about 20 minutes.

“It was quick and easy. You just walk in. They just scan your card, and you’re done.”

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock says they’re trying to make it as convenient as possible for working-age adults, who often have busy lives.

“We particularly need people who are in the working age bracket -- those who are between 18 and 40, 45. Our numbers could be much better in that age bracket. But we do realize that those people that have competing needs and pressures in their life.”

Southwestern Public Health is also reminding families that eligible children, from ages 12 to 17, need their first dose as soon as possible to be fully immunized for their first day of school in September.

Father and son Michael and Chase Graves were in for 13-year-old Chase’s first dose. Michael says it’s about feeling safe.

“It was important to me to make sure that he’s healthy and safe, and I want him to return to school as normal as possible.”

They have been asked to return in three weeks for Chase’s second dose.

Lock says every needle in the arm is one shot closer to normality.

“We all want to get back to as much normal a life as we can be. We do want to things open up. We’d like to see the schools open fully in the fall and our children back everyday like normal. And to get that done we need all of us to have the vaccine.”

As of Friday, about 78 per cent of those eligible in the region have had their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 62 per cent have had two doses.

Here is a list of popup vaccination clinics in the region:

July 29 – Thamesford
Thamesford Library from 9 a.m. to noon
165 Dundas Street

July 29 – Embro
Embro Arena, Large Hall 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
3555644 35th Line

July 30 – Ingersoll
Ingersoll District Memorial Arena 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
97 Mutual Street South

July 30 – St. Thomas
St. Thomas Summer Carnival 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Corners of Ross and Talbot Streets

August 3 – Tavistock
Tavistock Memorial Hall 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
3 Adam Street

August 4 – Malahide
Malahide Community Place Springfield 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
12105 Whittaker Road

August 5 – Aylmer
Aylmer Arena 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
531 Talbot Street West

August 6 – Malahide
South Dorchester Community Hall Lyons 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
49431 Lyons Line

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