Residents in west London who aren’t up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations soon won’t have to go far to get the shot.
The Middlesex London Health Unit has announced its latest mall-based COVID-19 vaccination clinic will open inside of Westmount Shopping Centre this Thursday. The new pop-up site builds on the success of similar clinics that have been held over the past few months at CF Masonville Place and White Oaks Mall. It also furthers the health unit’s goal of making the vaccine easy and convenient for all eligible residents to receive in order to have optimal protection against the virus.
“With the arrival of summer and warmer weather, many people are spending more time outdoors and they may not be thinking of COVID-19 right now,” said Dr. Alex Summers, the region’s medical officer of health. “Our clinic at Westmount Shopping Centre will allow people who have not received all the doses they are eligible for to get vaccinated. This will provide additional protection against the COVID-19 virus that continues to circulate in our community.”
The Westmount clinic will be located beside Bulk Barrell in the mall, near Entrance 1 off of Viscount Road. It will operate throughout the entire month of July from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Appointments are not needed to get the shot at the clinic and individuals
Whether you still need a first, second, third or fourth dose, individuals going to the clinic will be able to get the shot they are currently eligible for without an appointment.
Figures released by the health unit at the end of last month, shows 1,179,843 doses have been administered in London and Middlesex County since the vaccine became available in December 2020. Ninety-four per cent of area residents aged 12 and older have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 91.9 per cent in the same age bracket have had two doses. Third and fourth doses have been administered to 57.1 per cent and 11.3 per cent of area residents.
Despite calls to expand eligibility, the provincial government has only authorized fourth doses, or second booster shots, to Ontarians 60 and older, the immunocompromised, Indigenous adults, and long-term care and retirement home residents.
COVID-19 continues to circulate across the London region, with the health unit logging 102 new cases between Friday and Monday. As of Tuesday, the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) confirmed it had nine additional inpatients infected with the virus for a total of 39. That is the highest COVID-19 hospitalizations have been locally since May 27. The LHSC also reported 97 of its staffers have tested positive for the virus, an increase of seven since Monday.
