Hamilton plans COVID-19 vaccine clinics exclusive to BIPOC residents

Hamilton's medical officer of health says the citywill hostCOVID-19 vaccine clinics exclusivelyforpeople of colour and equity-seeking groupsafter trying and failing to get them priority access to appointmentson the weekend.

Dr. Elizabeth Richardson explained the plan during a general issues committee meeting on Wednesday while answeringquestions from Ward 1 councillor Maureen Wilson and Ward 3 councillorNrinder Nann.

Nann brought up how messagessent to Black and racialized residents to book 1,000 vaccine appointments ended up on social media and were filled by others.

"Social media is what it is ultimately ... and this is part of the challenge. There's a broad access of people being able to get in and we find often those who are equity seeking aren't able to get there and get the access they need," Richardson said.

"We are going to be working on some additional sites and I do foresee those will have exclusiveaccess in terms of a particular community group."

She added there are already clinicsin neighbourhoods with more people of colour, and those clinics are only open to those who live in the area.

Richardson acknowledged people of colour aredisproportionately impacted by the pandemic and said not enough of them have been vaccinated.

"We're going to keep working on this to try and get those rates up," she said.

This comes after amember ofthe group advisingHamilton public health says the city isn't doing enough toprioritizeracialized, disabled and low-income residents in its vaccine rollout.