Province supports mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic coming to Northumberland

Province supports mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic coming to Northumberland

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY – Thursday, June 3, 2021 - An additional mobile vaccination option will be coming soon to Northumberland County.

To help provide local residents with additional access to COVID-19 vaccine, a new mobile vaccination clinic is being introduced to bring vaccine directly to residents. This approach is part of the Province’s vaccine rollout and has proven beneficial in hotspot communities. While Northumberland County is not considered a hotspot, it is among the first rural settings in the province to see this type of mobile service. With Ontario’s vaccine supply now increasing, the Province is allocating additional supply to Northumberland for this initiative.
Beginning with large local manufacturers affiliated with the Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association (NMA), the mobile service will also be available to travel—as vaccine and need permits—to other manufacturers and larger area retail operations, potentially across the HKPR region. Eligible family members of employees invited to access the mobile clinic will be encouraged to attend, broadening the mobile service’s reach. Rural communities where larger portions of the population may be missing vaccine opportunities due to transportation or other accessibility challenges will also have an opportunity to host the mobile clinic.

Overseen by the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland (OHT-N) with clinical support from Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH), a network of volunteers rallied by area Rotarians and primary care providers who have stepped up, once again, to serve as vaccinators, the new mobile service will include a mix of drive through and on-site options customized to suit the needs of the respective employers and communities it is called to.

Area manufacturers were made aware of the potential service in a direct email sent out earlier this week from the Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association (NMA). NMA members were invited to express interest in hosting the mobile service and, to date, more than 18 manufacturers have expressed interest. The first mobile clinic site is expected to be opened as early as next week.

Registration of employees at the area businesses whose leaders have expressed interest in the service will be coordinated by OHT-N representatives seconded to the mobile service with an aim to keep the process as simple as possible.

“We are further expanding our vaccine distribution plan locally with the launch of a mobile vaccine unit,” said Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP Dave Piccini. “This is great news for our region. This clinic will begin offering vaccinations at manufacturers that have employees who cannot work from home. The plan to launch a mobile vaccine unit locally initiated from a request by the Northumberland Manufacturers Association (NMA) to help vaccinate their manufacturing workforce. Our Government is supporting this and is proud to be working alongside the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland and our local Health Unit to make this a reality!”

“With first dose vaccinations now surpassing 59 per cent of Northumberland residents 12 years of age and older, the final push is on to get the vaccine to every local resident who wants one and put COVID-19 in the rear-view mirror,” said Linda Davis, President and CEO of Northumberland Hills Hospital and spokesperson for the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland. “Like the assessment and testing centres and mass vaccine clinics before this, the mobile service will be a collective effort and I thank our OHT-N partners as well as our MPP and area volunteers for coming together to customize solutions that best fit our community.”

“The Health Unit has been working together with our community partners to offer a number of ways that people can get vaccinated,” says Dr. Natalie Bocking, Medical Officer of Health for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit. “We are seeing extremely high uptake at our mass immunization clinics and our mobile clinics and support any additional ways in which our many partners can help provide additional options to our residents who want to access the vaccine.”

Direct outreach to targeted employers and communities is under way, with support from NMA and area Chambers of Commerce. Further information on rural community visits will follow via the OHT-N website and partner communication channels as more details are available.

Looking for information on COVID-19?

For the most up-to-date information on how Ontario is responding to COVID-19, including vaccine information, visit Ontario’s dedicated COVID-19 website. For local updates, visit the HKPR District Health Unit website. For information on where to obtain a COVID-19 test, view the OHT-N's COVID-19 Testing & Assessment web page.