SWPH Vaccine Appointment HELP LIST

Picture of an outstretched hand with the words "we help."

HELP LIST: Helping Seniors Book Vaccine Appointments

Southwestern Public Health is helping those 60+ to book their COVID-19 vaccine.

Armed with the knowledge that older adults are most susceptible to severe COVID-19 infection and its complications, the health unit wants to ensure that the online booking system and the busy phone lines aren’t a deterrent to seniors getting their shot.

“Seniors, and their family members, have told us that booking online is challenging and that the phone lines were sometimes very difficult to get through. We don’t want technology to be a barrier to health,” says Jaime Fletcher, Program Manager for the COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force. “At the same time, we don’t have a ready list of all the 80-year-olds, so we need the community’s help identifying those who want the vaccine but haven’t yet secured an appointment.”

Residents of Oxford County, Elgin County, and the City of St. Thomas who were born in 1961 or earlier can visit the Health Unit’s website to add their name to the Help List. Physicians, community agencies, family members, and others who know people in this demographic waiting to be vaccinated can add names to the list as well – but only with the permission of the individual. A health unit representative will call with a date, time, and location for their appointment. Often same day appointments will be offered. If they are unable to take the appointment they will be called again at another time.

“We’ll start by offering end of day doses and doses from missed appointments. Once we have a firmer grasp on the numbers through this process, we’ll accommodate within our clinics accordingly.”

Currently the health unit is administering approximately 1100 doses of the Pfizer vaccine each weekday between its two main vaccination sites. Mobile teams are in the community, immunizing vulnerable residents of congregate living settings.

The help list strategy will be expanded to include other segments of the population in the coming weeks.