THUNDER BAY — Having operated almost continuously since early March 2021, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit's vaccination clinic on the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition Grounds will be paused for the summer.
The health unit's community vaccine clinic in the CLE Coliseum building was open on Wednesday for its final day, though it is expected to reopen in the fall.
The clinic was first opened as part of the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign two years ago. The clinic has continued to offer vaccines and booster doses, but has also expanded to include routine school-aged vaccines.
Laura Dennis, the manager of the health unit's vaccine and preventable disease program, said the building is an ideal space when vaccine demand is high.
"We do expect the demand for COVID-19 vaccines will decrease this summer as we see lower rates of COVID-19 infection throughout the summer months," she said. "We will reopen this clinic in September to support higher demand of COVID-19 boosters, as well as flu boosters in the fall."
Dennis said there was fairly steady demand for COVID-19 doses through April and May, with about 300 per day at its peak, after the province recommended a spring booster for high-risk individuals, which included people over the age of 65.
The clinic had been open two days per week — Mondays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Dennis said the health unit will be offering opportunities for children to get their routine and recommended immunizations, such as measles, tetanus and polio.
"We are offering walk-in clinics for school-aged children here in Thunder Bay," she said. "In the district communities, there will also be opportunities through their family health teams, their providers, to access routine immunizations."
Those walk-in clinics will take place at the health unit office on Balmoral Street on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with community pop-up clinics planned through the city at various locations.
The health unit will have COVID-19 vaccinations available twice a month at their main office in July and August. Doses are also available through select pharmacies and health care providers.
