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DurhamCitizen.ca May 24, 2021 3

Health Department begin rebooking second

dose appointments for individuals 80+

Province fast-tracks second dose eligibility for this age group

Whitby, Ontario– Durham appointments is currently not
Region Health Department will available as the online booking
begin rescheduling second dose system is presently for first dose
appointments for individuals 80 appointments only. The Health
and older on May 31 at 8 a.m. Department is working on
updating the online booking
Existing scheduled appointments and second dose appointments. “
will be moved forward based on system to be able to book both first
vaccine availability starting with To rebook second dose
dates around June 11. This change Mo re i n f o r m a t i o n w i l l b e appointments, Durham Region
f o l l o w s t h e p r o v i n c i a l announced as soon as possible. residents must contact the
announcement on May 28 to It is highly recommended that call centre at 1-888-444-5113.
a c c e l e r a t e s e c o n d d o s e individuals do not cancel their
appointments for this eligibility current second dose appointments
group. until they have contacted the call
Due to current limited supply of c e n t r e t o r e q u e s t a n e w
Moderna vaccine and no provincial appointment. Once your new
confirmation of next shipment, the second dose appointment is re s c h e d u l i n g s e co n d d o s e o u t l i n i n g t h e p r o ce s s f o r ofatumumab) are eligible for their
Health Department may be unable confirmed, call centre staff will a p p o i n t m e n t s , fi r s t d o s e r e b o o k i n g . A p p o i n t m e n t second dose as outlined in the
to support early second doses for assist with cancelling your original appointments are also being availability is also dependent on manufacturers’ recommendations.
individuals who received Moderna. appointment. booked at the same time. Due to a vaccine supply. These individuals would receive
P l e a s e c o n t i n u e t o c h e c k It is also important to note that limited number of appointment In addition to the earlier second their second dose of Pfizer vaccine
www.durham.ca/covidvaccines for there is no requirement for spaces, rebooking to receive an dose eligibility, the province has 21 days after the first dose, and 28
updates. individuals to cancel their original earlier second dose appointment also provided an update regarding days following their first dose for
T o r e b o o k s e c o n d d o s e second dose appointment, may not be possible. recommended dose intervals for Moderna vaccine.
appointments, Durham Region especially if their current Individuals who will be rebooking individuals who are on certain For more information and updates
residents must contact the call appointment is coming soon. second dose at the Ontario Tech Ice medications. Individuals who are on COVID-19 vaccine distribution
centre at 1-888-444-5113. Online Although the Health Department Campus clinic site will receive an taking anti-CD20 agents (e.g., i n D u r h a m R e g i o n , v i s i t
b o o k i n g f o r s e c o n d d o s e is working to accommodate email from Lakeridge Health r i t u x i m a b , o c r e l i z u m a b , www.durham.ca/covidvaccines.

Schools can reopen safely

on a regional basis,

Ontario's COVID-19

science table says

pandemic.” He said his government was shown during the COVID-19-related
“ during the pandemic “create harm” by deteriorating closures create “ripple effects” for counts could rise to between 2,000 One epidemiologist responded to
school closures.
modelling that suggests daily case
The science table also said school
The science table argues that school closures
and 4,000 by late July if schools are
both children and families as the
the science table’s advice on Twitter
children and youth’s mental health.
social and economic benefits of
fully reopened.
Saturday morning and said he
education are impacted, such as
losses of skills development, In its response today, the science disagrees with their guidance.
table acknowledged that the
“We have an end to the pandemic
l i f e t i m e e a r n i n g s , s o c i a l variant “presents a significant in our reach in Ontario. We may get
TORONTO -- Ontario’s COVID-19 science table said in its statement. connections, and for some, unknown” and that the province away with this gamble, or may not.
Science Advisory Table says it Schools across Ontario have been missing meals and other critical should continue administering In my view gambling on increasing
believes schools can reopen on a closed for in-person learning since health services. first vaccine doses and accelerate ICU admissions and accelerated
regional basis without risking the mid-April, but with the province “Like so much of the pandemic, second doses for those most b1617 strain replacement: not
province’s progress of driving planning to enter the first phase of these harms and missed benefits vulnerable to COVID-19 to combat worth it,” Dr. David Fisman, an
down virus spread during the third its reopening plan by June 14, there are inequitable: those whom the virus spread. The group also said epidemiologist at UofT’s Dalla
wave of the pandemic. have been increasing calls to pandemic is hitting hardest are other sectors of the economy Lana School of Public Health said.
The science table, composed of reopen schools for the few also hardest hit by school closures,” should remain closed until they are Meanwhile, the medical officers of
m e d i c a l e x p e r t s , m e d i c a l remaining weeks before summer the table said. reopened by the province’s health for Toronto, Peel Region and
associations and hospitals across break. The group had previously said that framework. York Region have voiced their
the province, released a statement The science table argues that reopening schools could result in a Looking ahead to September, the support for the resumption of in-
on Saturday in response to Premier school closures during the six to 11 per cent increase in virus science table said the government person learning.
Doug Ford’s letter to health experts pandemic “create harm” by transmission, which would be should be working over the In a letter to the premier on Friday,
and stakeholders asking for their deteriorating children and youth’s small and manageable. summer to ensure schools are safe Toronto's Medical Officer of
input on whether schools should mental health. In line with Ontario’s chief medical and ready for students to return. Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said she
reopen. “This deterioration is now evident officer of health and local medical “The summer will provide an ideal would prefer the return of in-
The table said it maintains its i n t h e f o r m o f i n c r e a s e d officers of health, the table agrees time to make the whole school person learning before other
longstanding belief that schools ambulatory care use and hospital that schools can reopen on a system even safer by continuing to COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
should be the last sector to close admissions, most poignantly for regional basis, as long as they improve ventilation in school The province's four largest
and the first sector to reopen. children and youth with eating maintain public health measures buildings and by vaccinating education sector unions also
“We believe that Ontario can re- disorders,” the table said. and build on strategies already students,” the table said. released a statement on Friday and
open schools safely on a regional “We believe these mental health implemented to limit spread. The group also noted that the said educators have consistently
basis to mitigate the significant indicators represent the tip of the Ford’s letter raised specific province should start developing "supported the safe, regional
short and long-term harms arising iceberg and that children and concerns about reopening schools, and investing in recovery plans reopening of schools" but believe
from school closures, while youth mental health will present including the increasing presence now to address the long-term the decision on reopening should
managing the risk of virus significant long-term challenges of the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant, mental health, health and be left up to local medical officers
transmission in this sector,” the during our recovery from the which was first discovered in India. educational problems that arose of health.