Health Unit Announces Fall Immunization Campaign

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has launched their fall vaccination program.

This year, the Health Unit plans to focus immunization efforts on vulnerable populations as part of the Ontario fall 2024 respiratory illness season immunization campaign. Individuals are encouraged to get their influenza (flu) and COVID-19 immunizations as soon as they are available to them.

The Province has expanded access points with pharmacies and health care providers as the primary sources for COVID-19 and influenza (flu) vaccines, directing focus for local public health units, like the WECHU, on reaching populations with limited vaccine access options.

Pharmacies and health care providers are expected to begin receiving and offering updated fall 2024 formulations of vaccines in mid-October, ahead of the general eligibility date of October 28th, 2024.

The WECHU is currently focused on distributing vaccines to hospitals and long-term care homes, which will be followed by supporting the vaccination of other priority groups in our community, including:

• Adults 65 years of age or older
• Individuals 6 months of age and older who are residents of long-term care homes and other congregate living settings, pregnant, in or from First Nations, Métis or Inuit communities or members of racialized and other equity-deserving communities
• Those who have underlying medical conditions that place them at higher risk of severe COVID-19, including children with complex health needs
• Children 6 months to 4 years of age
• Staff and care providers of long-term care homes and other congregate living settings
• Health care workers
• First responders
• Individuals with significant exposure to birds and mammals (such as poultry, livestock, slaughterhouse and processing plant workers, wildlife officers/researchers, and veterinarians)

Talk to your health care provider about getting vaccinated or find a pharmacy offering vaccination near you by searching online at https://www.ontario.ca/vaccine-locations. Once available, appointments at the WECHU for eligible priority groups can be booked online at https://www.wechu.org/cv/booking.