COVID-19 vaccine update from Public Health Sudbury & Districts

Public Health Sudbury & Districts continues to invite those who are 75 and over in this calendar year to book an appointment for COVID-19 vaccination. Booking is going well for this age group and Public Health will soon announce when those who are 70 and over in 2021 can begin booking appointments locally. These details are expected to be shared in the coming days. In recent announcements, the Ontario Government reported that certain regions would begin offering vaccine to those aged 70 and older. Public Health Sudbury & Districts wants to ensure those 75 and over have an opportunity to book before opening up appointments to younger age groups.

Public Health continues to receive doses of COVID-19 vaccine on an ongoing basis and the provincial allocation provides public health units with vaccine doses based on population. Currently eligible individuals are encouraged to call to book appointments, but Public Health is only able to schedule appointments for the exact number of doses it has for each clinic, and the supply of doses is subject to possible fluctuations. For example, if Public Health has 800 vaccine doses, only 800 appointments are booked at a scheduled vaccine clinic. Once a clinic is full, we schedule eligible individuals at future clinics.

Who is currently eligible in Public Health Sudbury & Districts service area

Currently across Greater Sudbury and the districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin, Public Health is continuing to offer COVID-19 vaccine to the groups below. For vaccine clinic dates, please visit: http://phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics

• Adults 75 years of age and older in 2021 (individuals born in 1946 or earlier)
• Health care workers (see Ministry of Health criteria, PDF, 486 KB)
• Adult recipients of chronic home care
• Indigenous adults (First Nations, Métis, Inuit)
• Residents, essential caregivers, and staff of high-risk congregate living settings
• Faith leaders who provide certain functions such as end-of-life care
• Staff, residents, and essential caregivers of long-term care homes, retirement homes, congregate care settings for seniors, and Elder care homes.

Who can book an appointment

All vaccination clinics are by appointment only and COVID-safe measures are in place. A reminder you must not attend a clinic if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 or if you are in isolation due to a COVID-19 exposure. Visit phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics to find out if you are eligible, for booking information, and for clinic dates and locations. Only those currently eligible for vaccination should call the appointment booking line to avoid overwhelming the lines. Call volumes are high and Public Health is focused on ensuring eligible individuals can access an appointment.

The vaccination efforts are aligned with the Province’s phased vaccination approach as well as the Ministry of Health’s guidance on Health Care Worker Prioritization (PDF, 485 KB).

For more information or if you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, please visit phsd.ca/COVID-19 or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).