The Ottawa area's weekly COVID-19 vaccination checkup: July 15

Highlights:

• The focus ofvaccine campaigns has shifted.
• Ontario has set vaccine thresholds for moving beyond Step 3 of its reopening plan.
• Reaction continues to follow Quebec's vaccine passport proposal.
• There have been morechangesin several eastern Ontario health units.

Every Thursday, CBC Ottawa brings youthisroundup of COVID-19 vaccinationdevelopments throughoutthe region. You can find more information through links at the bottom of the page.

There have been more than2.7milliondoses administered in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region, which has about 2.3 million residents.

That adds up tomore than 240,000doses in the past week,many more second doses than first doses.

Provincial picture

Ontario has shifted the focus of itsvaccine campaign from mass clinics to primary care settings in the coming weeks to try to target people who are open to getting a shot, but haven't.

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That province has more than enough peoplevaccinated to qualify for its moveto Step 3 of its reopening plan Friday.

Ontario's next vaccination thresholds past Step 3 are 80 per cent of eligible residents (12 and older)with at least one vaccine dose,75 per centfully vaccinated, and no health unit with less than 70 per centfully vaccinated.

Nearly 80 per cent of Ontario's eligible residentshave received their first dose, and about 55 per cent are fully vaccinated. That breakdown is shared below for local health units (whenavailable).

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Quebec continues to say it may use targeted vaccine passports for non-essential services as early asSeptember.

• Quebec businesses want vaccine passport system to be simple, not a burden
• Quebec's plan threatens to infringe on 'freedom of movement,' expert says

Ontario's health minister said it won't have a similarprovincial vaccine passport. Some sectors are making that move.

• University of Ottawa mandates COVID-19 vaccines for students living on campus
• Ontario weighing COVID-19 vaccination requirements for certain jobs

Quebecers who previously hadCOVID-19, and received the first dose of the vaccine, can get their second shot, especially if they're planning to travel.

More than 72 per cent of Quebec residents have had at least one dose.

The efforts to reach unvaccinated Canadians

3 years ago

Duration 1:52

Public health experts say at least 80 per cent of Canadians need to be fully vaccinated to keep COVID-19 cases in check, so as demand drops for first shots, communities are finding ways to reach the unvaccinated.

Nationally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saidCanada has no plans to open its borders to unvaccinated tourists in the foreseeable future. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said her team is talking toprovinces about how to limit the risk of COVID-19 spreading among children who can't yet receive a vaccine.

Ottawa

There are many more drop-in options for people without a first dose. The city's standby list for first and second doses also now requires people to sign up once a week, instead of daily.

It said it wants people who had second dose appointments as late as November to get that shot this month.

Anthony Di Monte, who runs the local vaccine task force, said Wednesday the city is looking at ways tocautiously scale back on hours or locations as demand for the vaccine starts to drop, which was expected as part of theevolution of the rollout.

He said that would be done without creating barriers for those who still need to get a shot.

• Health officials monitor how reopening affects unvaccinated Ottawa residents

More than 1.2milliondoses have now been given to Ottawa residents. That includes about 525,000second doses.

Seventy-one per cent of the city's total population of about 1,050,000 has had at least one dose, including82per cent of eligible residents 12 and older.

Half of the total population is fully vaccinated, as have57per centof eligible residents.

By age group:

• More than half of residents in their 40s are fully vaccinated.
• More than two-thirds of residents in their 50s are fully vaccinated.
• More than three-quarters of residents in their 60s are fully vaccinated
• Residents between 18 and39have notreached 75 per cent coverage with at least one shot.

Western Quebec

The Outaouais has distributed more than 430,000 dosescombined first and second among a population of about 386,000.

Health authority CISSSO said Wednesday more than two-thirds of residents had at least one vaccine dose and about 40 per cent are fully vaccinated.

That doesn't count residents who may have been vaccinated in Ontario.

Hastings Prince Edward

The health unit has told residents to rebook toa much earlier dateif theirsecond dose appointment is still weeks away.

There'san afternoon walk-in clinicfor first and second doses at Belleville'sQuinte Sports and Wellness Centre in the next few days.

• Two-dose COVID-19 vaccine response works against delta variant, researchers find

More than 195,000doses have been administered to this area's residents, including more than 78,000 second doses. Another 5,100 or so doses have been given at CFB Trenton.

Seventy-nine per cent of the eligiblelocal population has now had a first dose. Fifty-two per cent are fully vaccinated.

Eastern Ontario Health Unit

More than 225,000 vaccine doses have been administered among a population of about 209,000.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis told reporters Monday about 77 per cent of its eligible residents had at least one dose and about 43 per cent were fully vaccinated.

He also said local vaccine supply is plentiful and the unit is trying to make it as easy as possible to get a second dose in the coming days.

It regularly posts walk-up and standby clinics on Twitter.

WATCH | Ways to reach unvaccinated people:

COVID-19: What we know about mixing vaccines

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Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch explains comments from the World Health Organization about COVID-19 vaccines taken out of context and what health experts know about mixing vaccines.

Renfrew County

Residents 65 and over can now get a first or second dose without an appointment at certain clinics. Younger residents can walk in for a first dose only.

The health unit is holding a special AstraZeneca second dose clinic in the the town ofRenfrew next week.

• Health experts predict gradual return to normal, but with caveats
• What Canada needs to do now to capitalize on low COVID-19 levels and keep them that way

With a population of about 109,000, Renfrew County haddistributed more than 119,000 doses as of July 11.

More than 73 per centof its eligible population hadat least a first dose and more than half are fully vaccinated.

Between 50 and 60 per cent of those in each age group 18 to 40 hadthe first dose.

Each age group starting with those 55 to 59 hadmore than 75 per cent with at least one dose.

Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington

The region, with a population of about 213,000,has given about 255,000 vaccine doses combined first and second to residents, including about 107,000second doses.

The health unit has now given a first dose to about 80 per cent of its eligible population 12 and older, and about 57per cent of eligible people have been fully vaccinated.

There are regular walk-in vaccine times in Kingston and Napanee.

WATCH | Evidence still showsmixing vaccines is safe:

Making vaccines mandatory for students 12 and older may backfire, epidemiologist says

3 years ago

Duration 0:52

Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa, says making vaccines mandatory for students 12 and older may have unintended consequences, pushing parents who are already hesitant further away.

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark

More than 132,000 of the region's 173,000 residents have received at least onedose, and more than 86,000 are fully vaccinated.

The health unit said Tuesday 86 per cent of eligible residents have at least one dose, and 56 per cent of them have both. There is a steady supply of vaccines and the unit is posting walk-up vaccine locations on Twitter.

Every age group starting with residents in their 30s has passed 80per cent with one dose, in addition tobeing at least40 per cent fully vaccinated.

WATCH | Potential downsides tomandatory COVID vaccinations for school: