MEDIA RELEASE: Several Locations Offer COVID-19, Flu & RSV Vaccines Across Chatham-Kent
Chatham-Kent [November 8, 2024] – Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team (CKOHT) healthcare partners are now offering several accessible options for COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and RSV immunization, to help prevent respiratory illnesses this season. Local Chatham-Kent residents have multiple options to receive their vaccinations including: local pharmacies, MobileCare, Chatham-Kent Public Health, and primary care organizations. Different locations offer different vaccines. To find a vaccination/immunization location near you, please visit www.ckoht.ca/vaccines or check www.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations for additional options. If you are still unsure where to go or have additional questions, you can receive health advice, services and information from a registered nurse to find health services or information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
- Visit Health811 online
- Call 811
- Call toll-free TTY: 1-866-797-0007
Receiving vaccinations is a simple yet powerful way for residents in our community to protect themselves and reduce the impact of illness across Chatham-Kent. Dr. Briana Yee-Providence, family physician and Physician Co-Chair with CKOHT stated, “As a physician, I urge everyone in our community to get vaccinated against common respiratory illnesses, including influenza, RSV, and COVID-19. We have already seen many healthy individuals over the past few months with persistent symptoms and prolonged illness. Vaccines are the best way to protect you from illness and keep our community and loved ones healthy.”
These vaccines help reduce illnesses, which in turn alleviates pressure on Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s (CKHA) Emergency Department, helping to avoid longer wait times for non-emergency cases during high illness seasons.
CKHA prepares for a surge in Emergency Department visits and admissions to hospital every seasonal illness period as viruses circulate throughout the community. This often pushes the hospital’s bed capacity beyond 100 per cent. CKHA has already observed an increasing trend in patients presenting with seasonal illness. This increased demand can lead to longer than expected wait times for both emergency services as well as admissions to hospital. Vaccination can help prevent serious illness and reduce pressure on CKHA’s Emergency Department and bed capacity during the seasonal surge months.
Additionally, CKHA’s Women and Children’s Program endorses the Ontario Ministry of Health’s strong recommendation for all babies born in Ontario after January 1, 2024, to receive the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunization to prevent severe illness and hospitalization during the RSV season. RSV can cause serious respiratory complications, especially in infants under one year old, those born prematurely, or those with lung or heart conditions. If your child is born in hospital they will have the option to receive this injection after birth and before discharge. If your child was born before the start of RSV season and is less than one year of age, ideally, your child should receive this injection in early November. Options to receive it include:
- Discuss with your Obstetrician / Midwife the RSVpreF (Abrysvo) vaccination in pregnancy; OR
- Discuss with your Healthcare Provider for all infants born at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance before being discharge home the Nirsevimab (Beyfortus®) immunization; OR
- Discuss with your local Public Health Unit (in Chatham call 519-352-7270 ext. 2); OR
- Discuss with your Primary Healthcare Provider
Questions about RSV can be directed to your local Public Health Unit or Primary Healthcare Provider.
For more information, please contact:
Melissa Sharpe-Harrigan
Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team Executive Transformation Lead,
melissa.sharpe-harrigan@ckoht.ca
Fannie Vavoulis
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Director of Communications and Patient Relations, fvavoulis@ckha.on.ca