COVID-19 booster walk-ins available for Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon kids

Peel Public Health has made booster walk-in appointments available for kids between the 12 to 17 years old ahead of the province’s roll out on Friday.

Starting on Wednesday (Feb. 16), teens are eligible for the booster if they received a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine more than six months ago.

With the province easing COVID-19 restrictions including capacity limits and proof of vaccination requirements over the next few weeks, Peel Region’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh urged residents to “get vaccinated and boosted without delay.”

“People looking for certainty that they can manage the risk of severity if they face infection, and that our health units and hospitals will be able to recover and that we can all finally begin to move on – that certainty comes in the form of vaccination,” Loh said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Peel Public Health (PPH) clinics are accepting walk-in vaccination appointments, or you can book a COVID-19 vaccination appointment through the provincial vaccine booking portal.

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PPH is also holding a special walk-in late night vaccination clinic for the residents of Caledon on Feb. 20 with its “Boosters Before Bedtime” event.

The clinic will run from 1:00 p.m. until midnight at the Caledon East Community Complex and is aimed at increasing access to vaccines in Caledon with a focus on residents who are unable to get vaccinated during regular clinic hours.

The extended clinic hours and walk-in availability will give residents the flexibility to get vaccinated when it is convenient for them, with all residents aged 5 and older who are eligible for their first, second or booster dose are invited to attend.

On Thursday, capacity limits will be lifted at indoor settings across Ontario including restaurants, bars, gyms and fitness centres.

Premier Doug Ford announced the easing of pandemic restrictions on Monday, including an increase to social gathering limits to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

And starting on March 1, the province will also scrap proof of vaccination requirements for restaurants, bars and other indoor settings without having to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

The Region of Peel hit a milestone last month by fully vaccinating 90 per cent of eligible residents in Mississauga and Brampton aged 12 and older.

The most recent numbers from PPH show 93.9 per cent of Peel residents over 12 years old have had at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 91 per cent have received two doses as of Feb. 14.

More than 560,700 Peel residents have received a third dose, and 90.3 per cent of people over 5 years old have received at least one vaccine shot while 85.1 per cent have received two doses.