Appointments cancelled – rebooking required for Espanola, Manitoulin Island and the wider Sudbury District
All second dose appointments currently scheduled on or after July 12 in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts, will have to be cancelled and re-scheduled with Public Health Sudbury and Districts.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe says anyone who is currently eligible for an accelerated second dose and has already rebooked their appointment is not affected by the cancellations.
The decision came after the provincial decision to accelerate COVID-19 Pfizer or Moderna doses.
Dr. Sutcliffe adds with a steady vaccine supply, the unit is aiming to meet provincial targets and speed up second doses to have a two-dose summer ahead of the Delta variant of the disease.
Dr. Sutcliffe emphasizes anyone 12 and older should book an appointment for their first dose and anyone eligible for their second dose is strongly encouraged to rebook their appointment as soon as possible.
The cancellations include clinics in Espanola, Mindemoya and Little Current.
Starting the week of June 28 (days and sequence to be confirmed), Ontarians aged 18 and over will be able to book their second dose vaccine appointments as soon as 28 days after their first dose of an mRNA vaccine. To help with planning and to get second doses in arms even faster, Public Health Sudbury & Districts is cancelling originally scheduled second dose appointments for clinics previously booked on or after July 12 with one exception. All affected clinics are listed below.
Who is affected by cancellations?
If your second dose appointment was scheduled at the 112-day interval when you received your first dose, you must rebook your second dose as soon as you are eligible to do so. Based on eligibility and availability of appointments, you may receive your second dose after July 12, but it will be sooner than the original interval of 112 days. The original appointments were made when limited vaccine supply meant that a longer interval was required. Public Health will also notify those that are affected by an email and/or robocall.
Who is not affected by cancellations?
If you already rebooked your second dose earlier than your original appointment (112-day interval), your appointment is not affected—even if the clinic occurs after July 12. Appointments made through pharmacies or primary care are also not affected by these cancellations.
Public Health will notify those that are affected by an email and/or robocall. If you have any questions about your second dose appointment, you can call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).
Rebooking a second dose for adults 18 years of age and older
Once you are eligible for an accelerated second dose, visit https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ or call 705.674.2299 (toll-free 1.800.708.2505), to rebook your appointment. Online booking is a simple and efficient process and helps reduce call volumes. Individuals can also help people who are eligible by booking an appointment on their behalf.
Eligible individuals can also choose to attend a Public Health walk-in clinic if available or can book their second dose through pharmacies and primary care providers. Public Health is continually monitoring and adjusting our approaches to be able to offer COVID-19 vaccines. Continue to check phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics for the most up-to-date vaccination opportunities.
If your first vaccine was an mRNA vaccine, you can get either mRNA vaccine for your second dose. All Public Health-led clinics offer mRNA vaccines. We will provide information on our website regarding the mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) planned for the clinic, subject to change based on vaccine availability. On-site posters will identify the type of vaccine available at each clinic. You can speak with the immunizer if you have any questions or concerns about the vaccine available to you at the clinic.
Rebooking a second dose for youth aged 12 to 17
All second dose appointments originally booked for youth aged 12 to 17 scheduled on or after July 12 will also be cancelled. Public Health will share more information on how to book a second dose for this age group in the coming weeks. Continue to check phsd.ca/COVID-19/vaccine-clinics for the most up-to-date vaccination opportunities.
The following clinic with original second-dose appointments is not affected Anyone with an original second dose appointment scheduled at the following clinic is not affected.
July 15, St. Charles Community Centre Note: If you already rebooked your second dose earlier than your original appointment, you are not affected, regardless of the date or location of the clinic.
The following clinics with original second-dose appointments have been cancelled:
Lacloche Foothills – Espanola
July 14, Espanola General Hospital
July 21, Espanola General Hospital
July 28, Espanola General Hospital
August 4, Espanola Recreation Centre
August 11, Espanola Recreation Centre
August 18, Espanola Recreation Centre
August 25, Espanola Recreation Centre
September 1, Espanola Recreation Centre
September 8, Espanola Recreation Centre
September 15, Espanola Recreation Centre
September 29, Espanola Recreation Centre
Manitoulin Island
July 13, Mindemoya Missionary Church
July 20, NEMI Recreation Centre (Little Current)
July 27, Mindemoya Missionary Church
July 30, Mindemoya Missionary Church
August 3, NEMI Recreation Centre (Little Current)
August 5, Mindemoya Missionary Church
August 10, Mindemoya Missionary Church
August 10, NEMI Recreation Centre (Little Current)
August 14, Western Manitoulin (Gordon/Barrie Island Hall)
August 17, NEMI Recreation Centre (Little Current)
August 24, Mindemoya Missionary Church
August 31, NEMI Recreation Centre (Little Current)
September 7, Mindemoya Missionary Church
September 21, NEMI Recreation Centre (Little Current)
September 29, NEMI Recreation Centre (Little Current)
For additional information on the COVID-19 vaccines, as well as for specific answers to your frequently asked questions visit our FAQ web page or call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200 (toll-free 1.866.522.9200).
A look at the local numbers …
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reporting six new cases of COVID-19, four in the Greater Sudbury area and two in the Sudbury District.
Considering resolved cases there are 37 active cases in the agency’s jurisdiction.
There was one COVID-19-related death this week bringing the total of deaths in the Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts to 31.
Health Sciences North reports 11 admitted cases, four with positive results and seven waiting for test results.
Of the four, three individuals are in intensive care.
Algoma Public Health is reporting no new cases of COVID-19.
Considering resolved cases there are two active cases in the Algoma District and there are no individuals in hospital.
No stage three anytime soon …
Even though our vaccination numbers have hit their targets, don’t expect our province to be jumping into Stage Three of the recovery program anytime soon.
The Ford government says Stage Two will be allowed to proceed a couple of days early on June 30th.
But Ontario’s outgoing chief medical officer of health, Doctor David Williams, says they’ll likely wait the full 21 days before moving to the next stage.
That’s because of concerns over the Delta variant, which is much more contagious than other strains of COVID-19.
Williams says we can’t afford to be “casual” about the threat, noting the Delta variant now makes up almost two-thirds of the new diagnoses each day.
