Ottawa continues push to administer first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to residents

OTTAWA -

As COVID-19 booster shots roll out, there are still many people with not even a first dose.

According to the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study, Ledbury-Heron Gate-Ridgemont neighbourhood has one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in Ottawa.

On Sunday, a pop-up clinic was set up at Sandalwood Park, the latest initiative from the South East Ottawa Community Health Centre to get more jabs into arms through accessibility and breaking down barriers around vaccines.

"Access has been a huge issue, so this clinic we are bringing it to them," said COVID-19 coordinator Soraya Allibhai.

During the four-hour session, two people got their vaccine shot. Not the number they were expecting, but for the clinic, it makes a difference.

"It varies," said Yasmin Mohamed a registered nurse with the South East Ottawa Community Health Centre.

"Maybe 16, 20 people per day and it doesn’t sound like a big number but because of the low rates in the community it’s a big thing for us."

"We’re not here to force the vaccines but we are here to have conversations with our community," added Allibhai, who notes many in the neighbourhood are frontline workers who cannot afford time off or have the option of a sick day.

"We’re trying to support getting them tested getting them vaccinated and answering any questions they may have about their hesitancy,” she said.

But there is renewed urgency to get sleeves rolling up after an uptake in cases provincewide, with health officials reporting a single-day total over of 500 cases for a third straight day. 

According to Ottawa epidemiologist Dr. Raywat Deonandan, there’s a variety of reasons behind the resistance to vaccines.

"They are the anti-vaxxers, the apathetic, the people who need better access and the vaccine hesitant who just need better information," he said. "Simply handing a pamphlet may not be good enough, you need access to a personality who can answer their questions and maybe guess their question before they even ask them."

One solution is speaking in the same language, according to Mohamed, who has been administering shots in south-east Ottawa since September. The registered nurse says speaking Somali has helped build trust.

"When you’re asking questions for someone you feel a connection to it," said Yasmin Mohamed. "I think having someone to speak to in our community does help."