Dose-by-dose: Mass vaccination clinics closed in August, York Region pushes to 90% immunization rate

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 10, 2021

Between Aug. 2 and 31*, 100,344 vaccines -- both first and second doses -- were administered to York Region residents, bringing the total to 1,711,801 jabs.

That’s about a 70 per cent decrease in vaccines compared to the 335,360 administered between July 1 and 29.

York Region Public Health staggered the closing of its mass immunization clinics during August and moved to a mobile, pop-up clinic model to target specific areas, along with school vaccine clinics for students and staff.

That said, by the end of August, about 84 per cent of those 12 years and older have received one dose and 78 per cent of those eligible were fully vaccinated.

But that is not enough.

Those ineligible -- 11-years and under -- make up about 13 per cent of the region’s population. That means about 87 per cent of the region’s population is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

York Region’s medical officer of health, Dr. Karim Kurji, hopes to see the number reach 90 per cent in all age categories.

“This is an almost unrealistic target,” he said. “But that is the proportion we need to be able to better control this fourth wave.”

On average, more than 2,600 doses were administered each day in August.

“The problem is we’re dealing with a more aggressive strain, which is much more transmissible,” he said. “So, we need everybody’s assistance with respect to getting vaccinated.”

The first and second vaccine rate for those 35 and older is above the 80 per cent mark. And there’s about a five percentage point difference between the number of first doses and those fully vaccinated in the same age categories.

Vaccine rates start to drop in those 34 and under and the gap widens between first and second doses.

Snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic for August 2021:

• Total COVID-19 cases as of Aug. 2 -- 52,953;

• Total COVID-19 cases as of Aug. 31 -- 54,644, a 3.2 per cent increase.

• Total new COVID-19 cases on Aug. 2 -- 15 new cases, including eight variants cases;

• Total new COVID-19 cases on Aug. 31 -- 66 new cases, including 59 variant cases.

 

August 2021 vaccine numbers:

• Number of total doses administered in August -- 100,344;

• Number of second doses administered in all age groups -- 73,692 or about 74 per cent of August’s vaccine count; followed by eight per cent for first doses for 12- to 17-year-olds and 6 per cent for first does for 30- to 44-year-olds.

• 31 and older vaccination rate -- 88 per cent have received at least one dose and 84 per cent are fully vaccinated with two doses;

• 30- to 20-year-olds vaccination rate -- 76 per cent have received at least one dose and 69 per cent are fully vaccinated;

• 12- to 19-year-olds vaccination rate -- 79 per cent have received at least one dose and 69 per cent are fully vaccinated.