Vaccination clinics have reached locals schools

By Katrina Boguski
In recent weeks, staff from the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit have been holding COVID-19 vaccination clinics in local high schools for students, staff, parents, and members of the school community.
Schools within Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB), ran clinics at Haliburton Highlands Secondary School on Sept. 14 and 15. Clinics ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days.


“Ensuring everyone is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is one of the most important ways to stop the spread of coronavirus. With the highly-contagious Delta variant now the dominant coronavirus strain in Ontario, it’s even more important to get needles into arms,” said Dr. Natalie Bocking, Medical Officer of Health with the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
 “Providing COVID-19 vaccine in schools is an excellent way to reach youth ages 12 to 17 who are eligible to be vaccinated, but who may not yet have received a shot. By making vaccines easily available to this age group in a setting where they will be, we hope to increase uptake and boost the youth vaccination rate in Haliburton County,” she added.
Other schools within TLDSB continue to have clinics run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for students and staff only and then at 4 to 7 p.m. for parents and members of the community along with students and staff.


“To date, we are very fortunate to have had excellent response to our vaccination efforts. As of Sept. 13, nearly 78 per cent of all residents ages 12 years and older in the Health Unit region (Haliburton County, Northumberland County and City of Kawartha Lakes) are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We want to increase vaccination uptake even more, so continue to encourage everyone to get a dose,” said Bocking.
A complete list of local vaccination clinics is available on the Health Unit website www.hkpr.on.ca.