Mobile vaccinations teams to park at or near schools to encourage taking the needle

By Staff

August 16th, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The snap call of a federal election will muddy up the radar screen and get in the way of news that is critical to people – especially parents who want to know more about just what kind of an environment their children will be walking into when they return to school on September 7th

The public Board of Education will be meeting this evening and we should get some idea from them what the plans are.

The Board is tightly bound by what the provincial Ministry of Education determines. A report from that Ministry earlier today sets out how they see things working out.

This is what it is all about.

The Ontario government is working with public health units and publicly funded school boards to plan and host vaccination clinics in or nearby schools.

Clinics are expected to run before school starts and during the first few weeks of school. The program is part of the province’s last mile strategy to target those who have yet to receive a first or second dose

. “As part of the last mile campaign to reach as many students and staff as possible and to keep schools as safe as possible, we are requiring school boards and public health units to roll out clinics in or close to schools. By making vaccines more accessible, and with a cautious reopening in September following the expert advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, we will further bolster our fight against COVID-19 and variants.”

As of August 15, more than 69 per cent of youth aged 12 to17 have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 56 per cent have received a second dose. School-focused vaccination clinics will support increased uptake for eligible students, as well as education staff, and a safer return to school in the fall.

With respect to consent at school-focused clinics, COVID-19 vaccines will only be provided if informed consent is received from the individual, including eligible students, and as long as they have the capability to make this decision.

Health care providers, the school, and families must respect a young person’s decision regarding vaccination. Parents and guardians are encouraged to discuss vaccination with their children prior to attending a school vaccination clinic.

Students waiting for their turn to be vaccinated.

All vaccines delivered as part of Ontario’s vaccine rollout provide high levels of effectiveness against hospitalization and death from COVID-19 and its variants, including the Delta variant. During July 2021, unvaccinated individuals were approximately eight times more likely to get infected with COVID-19 compared to those who were fully vaccinated.

The growing number of people 12-17 who are vaccinated is encouraging – but being in the 55-60 % area isn’t good enough – not when we get reports of 500 + new infections daily and learn that the vast majority of those people have contracted the Delta variable that infects much faster and does serious damage to those infected.

Deaths are lower – but surely that is not a reason for not getting vaccinated.

Many jurisdictions are taking the position that if you are not fully vaccinated you cannot return to work.

Why the province is not making full vaccination mandatory is beyond this writer.

The upside is a safe, prudent choice – the downside will become evident the day we learn that a child has died.

Pressure from parents is what makes this government move.

 

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