Renfrew County expanding COVID vaccine eligibility due to increased shipment

The Renfrew County and District Health Unit (RCDHU) has received additional doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, which will enable them to expand the age group eligible for the shot. 

The health unit said the latest shipment of vaccines will allow those 55 years of age and over to book a vaccination appointment at RCDHU's public clinics, in addition to local pharmacies, weeks before they originally would have been able to.

Appointments can be made through the RCDHU website or by calling 613-735-9724 or 1-800-267-1097 ext. 200. The health unit asks residents to only leave one message, including their name and number. 

RCDHU said appointments using AstraZeneca will be clearly identified in the online portal, since there are age restrictions for its use.

“While we recognize that there is some public hesitancy regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine, we must remember that this vaccine is the driver of Britain's highly successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign and, to date, no cases of adverse events following immunization have been reported in Canada,” said Dr. Robert Cushman, Acting Medical Officer of Health, RCDHU, as he referred to documented cases of blood clots which have occurred in certain individuals following immunization.

Health Canada has indicated that the benefits of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine continues to outweigh the risks, making it is safe for use in individuals 55 years of age and over. 

Primary Care Lead for the RCDHU Vaccine Distribution Command Table Dr. Richard Johnson said, “In Canada, the provinces are administering the COVIDSHIELD version of the AstraZeneca vaccine and Health Canada has not received any reports of these rare adverse effects to date.”