Local Medical Leaders Warn Of 4th Wave, Ask Windsor Essex Residents To Get Vaccinated

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Local medical leaders at the Health Unit, Windsor Regional Hospital, Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, and the Essex County Medical Society are warning of a 4th wave of COVID-19 and are asking unvaccinated local residents to get vaccinated.

In an open letter to the community, leaders say those who are not vaccinated “contribute to the majority of the cases” and “are at the greatest risk of contracting the virus, experiencing life-threatening complications, and spreading the virus to others.”

“This is a critical time in our fight against COVID-19, if we as a community grow complacent, the risk of further health, social well-being, and economic impacts could be grave,” the letter states.

Here’s the full letter:

Open letter to the residents of Windsor and Essex County

As medical leaders in Windsor and Essex County we feel compelled to do everything within the scope of our roles to encourage everyone in our community to be fully vaccinated as soon as possible. We are at a critical point where our community’s collective hard work has resulted in over 65% of individuals with a first dose and over 55% fully vaccinated – but it is not enough. Currently, spread of COVID-19 variants is increasing rapidly in other countries, for example, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and the United States of America. Those who are not vaccinated contribute to the majority of the cases and they are at the greatest risk of contracting the virus, experiencing life-threatening complications, and spreading the virus to others. In this race to avoid another local wave of COVID-19 infections, we need everyone to do their part as quickly as possible.

There has never been an easier time to get vaccinated. Locally we have ample supply of both COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (i.e., Moderna and Pfizer) at local pharmacies, with healthcare providers, at pop-up clinics, or at a mass vaccination sites. If you are not partially or fully vaccinated, now is the time. Get vaccinated. If you know friends, family members, or coworkers that are not partially or fully vaccinated please encourage them to be vaccinated as soon as possible. If you are unable to travel to a vaccination site, there are resources available to assist you in getting there, please visit www.wevax.ca to learn more.

This is a critical time in our fight against COVID-19 and if we as a community grow complacent, the risk of further health, social well-being, and economic impacts could be grave. Together we can ensure a safer fall and winter and set us on a road to recovery, but the time for action is now. Only together can we beat this virus and only together can we move forward as community. Act now and help avoid a devastating 4th wave of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex. Get vaccinated and strongly encourage everyone you know to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Dr. Wajid Ahmed – Medical Officer of Health at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit

Dr. Jessica Summerfield – President of the Essex County Medical Society

Dr. Ross Moncur – Chief of Professional Staff at Erie Shores HealthCare

Dr. Wassim Saad – Chief of Staff at Windsor Regional Hospital

Dr. Andrea Steen – Vice President Medical Affairs, Quality & Chief of Staff at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare