Halton to accept vaccine appointments for essential workers, high-risk 18+ group on April 16

Halton Region announced more priority groups will be eligible to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments as of Friday, April 16.

These include those 18-and-up with highest-risk and high-risk health conditions and one essential caregiver.

• highest-risk health conditions include: organ transplant recipients; hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients; and people with neurological diseases in which respiratory function may be compromised (e.g., motor neuron disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis), haematological malignancy diagnosed within the past year, or kidney disease (eGFR <30):

• high-risk health conditions include: obesity (body mass index over 40), or receiving treatments causing immunosuppression (e.g., chemotherapy, immunity-weakening medications), and intellectual or developmental disabilities (e.g., Down syndrome).

They will also accept vaccine appointments for essential workers aged 18-and-older who cannot work from home, including elementary and secondary school staff, such as custodial, school bus drivers, and administrative personnel.

• Workers responding to critical events (including police, fire, special constables, children’s aid society workers, emergency management, and critical infrastructure restoration workers);
• Enforcement, inspection, and compliance roles (including by-law enforcement, building inspectors, food inspectors, animal welfare inspectors, border inspection officers, and labour inspectors/WSIB field workers);
• All licensees, employees, and students on an educational placement who interact directly with children in licensed child care centres and in authorized recreation and skill-building programs;
• Licensed home child care and in-home service providers, employees of a home child care agency, and students on an educational placement;
• Foster care agency workers (including customary care providers);
• Food manufacturing and distribution workers;
• Agriculture and farmworkers; and
• Funeral, crematorium and cemetery workers.

The public health unit says adults 50+ in an identified hotspot area and any remaining health care workers who live or work in Halton and cannot work from home are also eligible for an appointment as of April 16.

RELATED: GTA residents 50+ eligible for vaccine appointments in GTA hotspots Friday

“We are firmly into Phase 2 of the provincial vaccination plan and making significant progress in our vaccination efforts in Halton,” said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health.

Eligible residents can book appointments at any one of Halton’s six vaccination clinics in Burlington (including Joseph Brant Hospital), Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville (including Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital).

“All vaccines approved by Health Canada are safe and effective in preventing severe illness and complications from COVID-19. If you or someone you know is eligible, I encourage you to get vaccinated to not only protect yourself but keep our community safe and healthy.”

As of Friday, there are currently 19 pharmacies offering the AstraZeneca vaccine to all residents 55 and up. Appointments must be booked directly with the pharmacy and cannot be booked through Halton’s system or 311.

Vaccinations at Halton clinics and pharmacies are by appointment only and walk-ins will not be accepted.