(Photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo Inc. / casanowe)(Photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo Inc. / casanowe)
Chatham

CK Public Health catching up on routine school immunizations

Chatham-Kent Public Health is trying to catch up on school immunizations such as Meningococcal, Hepatitis B, and Human Papillomavirus vaccines that are required in Grades 7, 8, and 9.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said the pandemic has caused many students to miss their regular vaccinations.

Special catch-up clinics will be running on Tuesdays and Thursdays in March and April at the former YA Canada Building at 730 Richmond Street.

Colby said the new clinics are not for COVID-19 shots. Colby also said it's difficult to know how far behind the routine school vaccinations are but knows it's time to get all students caught up.

"For clarity, it's not COVID vaccinations, this is routine vaccinations that because of all the efforts to get everybody vaccinated for COVID, we got a little bit behind on," said Colby. "Some of those students would have got their shots from their family doctors and other health practitioners, but we ensure at the health unit that all the school kids are vaccinated."

Booking will take place online and require an appointment. Colby believes the routine vaccinations can all be caught up with the clinics in March and April.

Colby also mentioned that all public health units are catching up from many things that took a back seat to the pandemic. The doctor said the local public health unit has limited resources and almost all staff had to be redeployed to deal with COVID-19 with no extra staff added to deal with it or other preventative programs such as regular school vaccination.

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