Simcoe-Muskoka is running about five days behind the province in its vaccination program, having inoculated fewer people than the provincial average.
But Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, is confident the area will catch up with more readily available vaccine doses that are now being provided.
Approximately 748,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Simcoe-Muskoka. Of the 44,000 doses administered during the past week, 85 per cent were second doses.
In Simcoe-Muskoka, 78 per cent of those 12 years and older have received their first dose while 61.5 per cent received their second dose.
Using local and provincial figures from July 17, Gardner said the local rate is lagging behind the province by about five per cent. On July 17, 67.2 per cent of those aged 12 years and older in Simcoe-Muskoka had received their first dose while 47.5 per cent have received their second dose. That’s lower than the provincial average of 69.1 per cent receiving their first dose, and 52.8 per cent who received their second.
“The reason why we are delayed is because we’ve had a low incidence of COVID-19 on the whole for our district throughout the pandemic," Gardner said. "Most of the time, about half the provincial rate and about a quarter of the rate in the Greater Toronto Area."
And because there was only one hot spot, this area received less vaccine than those with several hot spots to help curb high transmission rates in those areas, an approach which Gardner says he supports.
In addition, the health unit has found this to be a destination area so there are more folks from other areas receiving their vaccine here than there are people from this area receiving their vaccines elsewhere.
“We are doing all we can to make vaccination available to people” with walk-in availability and pop-up clinics, he said.
Youth, aged 12 to 17 years old, are the latest to be offered the vaccine and are trailing behind the average with 66 per cent having received the first dose locally and 38 per cent for the second dose.
“That is a very important group, of course, to immunize, because we want to do all that we can to have them ready for school,” Gardner said.
The health unit also announced Tuesday that the mass immunization clinics will wind down in August. By mid-August, the province aims to have reached 75 per cent coverage for a second dose, which is the target for Step 3.
Vaccinations will still be available at more than 130 local pharmacies, primary health-care providers, family doctors and pop-up clinics.
“We really need to be focusing on those with a harder time coming out to be immunized and those who are hesitant,” said Gardner.
A messaging campaign is being launched directed at those hesitant to be vaccinated. That includes racialized neighbourhoods and those identified with lower income.
Meanwhile, the week-over-week case count has increased for the first time in 13 weeks with the delta COVID-19 variant accounting for 88 per cent of all local cases.
The local health unit reports there were 27 cases over the past week, representing a 44 per cent jump over the 16 cases reported during the week of July 11-17 and 16 cases during the week of July 18-25
During a media briefing Tuesday, Gardner said the numbers are up provincially as well, but only by less than five per cent.
In Simcoe-Muskoka, there are currently 31 active cases, which is up from 25.
The hope, he added, is that the increase is a blip and won’t develop into an upward trend.
