These Ottawa neighbourhoods have the highest and lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates

Health-care worker Thi Nguyen administers Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine to a patient at a COVID-19 clinic in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OTTAWA -

Ottawa Public Health is setting up new Neighbourhood Vaccine Hubs to address systemic barriers that may be preventing access to COVID-19 vaccines for residents in some areas of the city.

A new report concludes that “vaccination coverage is generally lower in neighbourhoods with less socioeconomic advantage than in neighbourhoods with higher socioeconomic advantage."

New data shows the neighbourhood of Ledbury – Heron Gate – Ridgemont has the lowest vaccination rate in Ottawa, with 46.4 per cent of residents 12 and older fully vaccinated.  The neighbourhood of Hawthrone Meadows-Sheffield Glen has the second-lowest vaccination coverage in Ottawa, with 50.2 per cent of residents 12 and older fully vaccinated with two doses.

The neighbourhoods with the highest vaccine coverage are Vars, Hunt Club South Industrial and Cumberland, all with over 90 per cent first dose coverage and 80 per cent of adults 12 and older fully vaccinated.

"This data has shown us that vaccination coverage is lower in less advantaged neighbourhoods, which also have some of the largest Black and racialized populations," said Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa's medical officer of health.

"As we have seen in past reports, the disparity between less and more advantaged neighbourhoods has persisted throughout the pandemic, despite significant efforts by many partners to reorient services to meet the greatest needs."

Ottawa Public Health partnered with the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study to map neighbourhood-level vaccination rates in 111 neighbourhoods across Ottawa. The study categorized them into five evenly sized groups: low income, participation in the labour force, lone-parent families, unemployment, no high school diploma, median market income before taxes and core housing needs.

"I want to be very clear about the neighbourhoods where there is lower vaccine uptake: it is not necessarily that people are vaccine hesitant, rather, there are also systemic barriers that prevent access to vaccine information and opportunities for vaccination," said Etches Wednesday afteroon.

"For example, residents of these neighbourhoods are more likely to work in jobs where taking paid sick leave to be vaccinated is difficult or impossible. Other barriers include language, transportation, lack of computer and internet access, need for childcare, or lack of trust in government agencies, and in the health care system, given previous negative experiences and systemic racism."

Residents and partner organizations outlined some of the barriers to getting the COVID-19 vaccine, including:

• Inequitable access to transportation, a clinic, child-care or technology
• Lack of time: working conditions and life circumstances
• Lack of trust: "Some communities may not trust health institutions or the government; people may put more trust in their cultural and religious leaders who have diverse perspectives about vaccinations," says the report.
• Inequitable access to clear and accurate information
• Unclear or mixed messages: changing guidelines and advice undermined confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine
• Misinformation circulation on the web, in media and social media platforms

The South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre says it will take a community effort to ensure everyone has access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Our work is to get these options as close to their doors as possible at a time that is convenient for them," said Kelli Tonner, executive director of the centre.

Ottawa Public Health and the city hosted pop-up clinics in several high-priority neighbourhoods during the initial rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, with the goal of protecting the people most at risk for hospitalization and death.

Now, the health unit is working to vaccinate approximately 37,000 more residents who live within high-priority neighbourhoods to achieve at least 90 per cent vaccine coverage. Starting this week, new Neighbourhood Vaccine Hubs will be set up in neighbourhoods, working with community health partners to vaccinate residents and answer questions.

NEIGHBOURHOOD VACCINE HUBS

Ottawa Public Health is opening neighbourhood vaccine hubs to offer convenient and accessible ways to access COVID-19 vaccines in neighbourhoods across the city. Residents can access a first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the clinics.

In a memo to council, Etches said the new neighbourhood vaccine hubs will help officials vaccinate approximately 37,000 more residents who live within high-priority neighbourhoods to achieve at least 90 per cent coverage. The teams will establish a community presence, and are available to answer questions, provide vaccine information and administer vaccinations.

As of Wednesday, 74 per cent of Ottawa residents 12 and older had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 84 per cent of residents 12 and older have received one dose.

Etches says Ottawa Public Health's efforts to increase vaccine availability in neighbourhoods is working.

"We are seeing the coverage rates in disadvantaged communities grow as more options are added," said Etches, adding protection is growing "week-by-week" in the high-priority neighbourhoods.

The medical officer of health notes all communities now have the majority of their eligible populations immunized with at least one dose.

"We want every single community within Ottawa to be protected against COVID-19 as much as possible, and we are heading towards 90 per cent coverage across our city," said Etches.

COVID-19 VACCINATION COVERAGE BY NEIGHBOURHOOD

10 neighbourhoods with the lowest COVID-19 vaccine coverage for residents 12 and older  – (second dose in parentheses)

• Fitzroy: 62 per cent (54.6 per cent)
• Ledbury – Heron Gate – Ridgemont: 62.5 per cent (46.4 per cent)
• Hunt Club – Ottawa Airport: 62.8 per cent (52.4 per cent)
• Hawthrone Meadows – Sheffield Glen: 63.6 per cent (50.2 per cent)
• Bayshore –Belltown: 67.1 per cent (53.6 per cent)
• Overbrook McArthur: 67.9 per cent (53.6 per cent)
• ByWard Market: 68.3 per cent (57.5 per cent)
• Vanier North: 69.1 per cent (58.1 per cent)
• Hunt Club Park: 69.1 per cent (58.2 per cent)
• Parkwood Hills – Stewart Farm – 69.5 per cent (52.1 per cent)

Data as of Aug. 2, 2021 

10 neighbourhoods with the highest COVID-19 vaccine coverage for residents 12 and older – (second dose in parentheses)

• Vars: 99.7 per cent (85.2 per cent)
• Hunt Club South Industrial: 95.2 per cent (86.4 per cent)
• Cumberland: 92.4 per cent (83 per cent)
• Richmond: 89.6 per cent (78.8 per cent)
• Stittsville: 89.2 per cent (79.3 per cent)
• Edwards – Carlsbad Springs: 88.9 per cent (74.9 per cent)
• Riverside South – Leitrim: 88.1 per cent (77.3 per cent)
• Manotick: 87.2 per cent (78.5 per cent)
• Cityview – Crestwood – Meadowlands: 86.6 per cent (71.7 per cent)
• Stonebridge – Half Moon Bay – Heart's Desire: 86.3 per cent (73.7 per cent)

Data as of Aug. 2, 2021 

To review the vaccination rates in all 111 neighbourhoods, visit the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study's website.

In a memo to Council, Dr. Etches said higher vaccination rates do not reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in a neighbourhood.

"It is important to note that, similar to testing numbers, areas with higher or lower vaccination rates are not more or less 'safe' from COVID-19. All neighbourhoods have a majority of the eligible population immunized against COVID-19 and OPH continues to see people testing positive for COVID from across the city," said Etches.

NEIGHBOURHOOD VACCINE HUBS

AMA Public Health Neighbourhood Vaccine Hub – AMA Community Centre (1216 Hunt Club Road)

• Monday to Thursday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Heatherington Community Vaccine Hub – Heatherington Family Centre (1495 Heatherington Road)

• Monday to Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Bayshore Community Vaccine Hub – Bayshore Community Building (175 Woodbridge Crescent)

• Monday to Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Foster Farm Community Vaccine Hub – Foster Farm Community Centre (1065 Ramsey Crescent)

• Monday to Friday 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.