Walk-in booster dose option available for more community members at select vaccine clinic locations

HAMILTON, ON – In an effort to increase access and provide greater protection from the impact of COVID-19, various populations in the community can walk-in to select vaccine clinic locations to receive a booster dose.

Select walk-in booster dose clinic locations

Effective today, pregnant individuals and their families can walk-in to these participating vaccination clinics

• Mountain Vaccine Clinic – Lime Ridge Mall, 999 Upper Wentworth St.
• David Braley Health Sciences Centre (DBHSC) Vaccine Clinic, 100 Main St. W.
• Centre on Barton, 1211 Barton St. E. (between the Brick and Giant Tiger)
• St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton West 5th Campus, 100 West 5th St. (12+ only)
• All Hamilton Public Health Services mobile vaccine clinics, various locations
• Refuge Newcomer Health Vaccine Clinic at the Hamilton Public Library – Barton Branch, 571 Barton St. E. today from 5 to 8 pm

Note, not all vaccine clinics administer pediatric vaccination for individuals ages five to 11 years old, please choose your vaccination clinic accordingly.

Effective tomorrow, January 15 at 12 pm, all individuals ages 18+ in the community can walk-in to this participating vaccination clinic for a booster dose:

• Centre on Barton, 1211 Barton St. E, Hamilton

Fourth dose eligibility for immunocompromised community members

Effective today and based on Provincial direction, immunocompromised community members 18+ who required a three-dose series to be fully vaccinated, are recommended to book an appointment through Hamilton’s booking tool for a fourth dose as long as at least three months (84 days) has passed since their third dose. Eligible individuals can show a current prescription receipt from a pharmacy or the medication bottle or packaging that includes the date of prescription, their first and last name, and the address and phone number of the pharmacy to receive their fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine. To review eligible groups, visit www.hamilton.ca/COVIDvaccines.

Learn about available locations, hours of operation and how to book at www.hamilton.ca/GetYourVaccine. 

Hamilton Healthcare Partners and organizations from across the community continue to work around the clock to plan and evolve this significant expansion of local COVID-19 vaccine capacity to ensure as many Hamiltonians as possible, as quickly as possible, are able to receive the strong protection getting fully vaccinated and receiving a third dose of vaccine provides against COVID-19 and the highly-transmissible Omicron variant. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists and non-clinical staff alike are bringing the best of our community to light and stepping up in these efforts to expand Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign in a concerted effort to sustain an extremely strained healthcare system for the benefit of us all.

Booking a vaccination appointment

All other individuals who are eligible for a third or booster dose who would like to attend another vaccine clinic location are required to book an appointment for their vaccination. Children five to 11 years of age can also book an appointment at local vaccine clinics with walk-in being an option as well at select clinics. Learn about available locations, hours of operation and how to book at www.hamilton.ca/GetYourVaccine. Most individuals must wait at least three months after their second dose to receive a third/booster dose.

Quick facts

• Hamilton Healthcare Partners continue to make progress in vaccinating eligible community members. To date, 85.7 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians receiving a vaccine to date, and 80.5 per cent fully vaccinated - 1,137,004 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 234,077 third and booster doses. 44 per cent of children aged five to 11 have received a first dose.
• All individuals ages five to 11 can walk-in to the Lime Ridge Mall, Centre on Barton and David Braley Health Sciences Centre vaccine clinics for a vaccine dose.
• Hamilton Public Health Services remains committed to the Last Mile Strategy with the priority being administering both first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and ensuring neighbourhoods with lower coverage rates have access to information tailored to their needs and vaccine that is accessible at convenient locations and times.
• Hamilton Public Health Services continues to focus on administering first and second doses to all eligible individuals ages 5+ as well as third and booster doses of vaccine to eligible populations.
• The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends an interval of at least eight weeks between the first and second dose since emerging evidence in adults suggests that compared to shorter intervals, longer intervals between the first and second doses result in a stronger immune response, higher vaccine effectiveness that is expected to last longer, and may be associated with a lower risk of myocarditis and/or pericarditis in adolescents and young adults.
• Based on the NACI recommendation, Hamilton Public Health Services advises community members that eight weeks is recommended for best immune response and decreased risk of myocarditis and/or pericarditis, however and as per our clinical protocol and with informed consent, Hamilton Public Health Services permits bookings of a 21-day interval between first and second doses. Community members may wish to consult with their family’s general practitioner, pediatrician or local pharmacist to understand benefits and risks.
• The Pfizer BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine supply is limited across all Hamilton COVID-19 vaccine clinics. The Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will be reserved for those individuals under the age of 30 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd doses until further notice. Individuals over the age of 30 will be offered the Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccine when arriving at a vaccine clinic. 
• Vaccine administration rates may differ based on local context. All vaccination planning is based on and contingent on available COVID-19 vaccine supply and the necessary health and human resources.
• It is vital that members of the public, even those who have been vaccinated, ensure that public health measures still be practiced until it is safe and said to be safe by the health professionals in all levels of government.  

Additional resources

• www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus
• https://covid-19.ontario.ca
• https://kidshealthfirst.ca/
• Public Health Services’ COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline: 905-974-9848, option 7
• Public Health Services’ COVID-19 Hotline: 905-974-9848