There will soon be another option for residents in Oxford and Elgin counties struggling to make it to one of the region's two COVID-19 vaccination clinics.
Southwestern Public Health has announced it is opening a new regional mass immunization site in Tillsonburg. The clinic will officially open in the Lions Auditorium at the Tillsonburg Community Centre next Tuesday. It will operate by appointment only Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
"Southwestern Public Health covers a large geographic region and not everyone is able to travel to our Woodstock or St. Thomas sites," said Jaime Fletcher, program manager of the region's COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force. "Adding another immunization clinic assists with making vaccine as accessible as possible."
The new clinic is being operated in partnership with Oxford County EMS and the town of Tillsonburg. Local paramedics have been key in the effort to get vaccine into arms, staffing mobile testing sites and home care clinics.
“Our Oxford County paramedics have played a vital role in supporting the COVID-19 community response, and we are pleased that once again, they are helping to protect our community by leading vaccination efforts at the Tillsonburg COVID-19 vaccine clinic,” Michael Duben, CAO of Oxford County, said in a statement. “It is important, in order to help protect the safety of our communities, to reduce barriers to getting vaccinated wherever possible.”
The Tillsonburg site is in addition to clinics located at the St. Thomas-Elgin Memorial Arena and Woodstock's Goff Hall. Those two sites opened last month. Since then, more than 32,000 people in the two counties have received the shot.
People eligible to get the vaccine can book an appointment at online at www.covidvaccinelm.ca or by calling 226-289-3560 (Toll Free 1-888-333-2175). Anyone having difficulty navigating the booking system can sign up for the region's "help list" to have a public health employee reach out with additional assistance.