Sudbury health unit pleased with vaccination rate in the region, official says

Officials with Public Health Sudbury and Districts say they're happy withvaccination uptakein the community, even exceeding the general rate among priority groups in Ontario.

As of Tuesday, close to 20per cent of the population in Sudbury-Manitoulin has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the health unit says.

The province saidTuesday that 85 per cent ofpeople 80 and over have received at least one dose;that same demographic in the Sudbury region isat 97 per cent.

Health unit manager Dana Wilson saidit's pleased "to overshoot and oversucceed in all of these priority groups, including those older adults, who we know do experience worse health outcomes andhave greater risk of ... being hospitalized when they are infected with COVID-19."

Wilson said the region has"incredibly strong partnerships across local service providers thatsupport older adults ... in making sure that the messaging is getting out there, that transportation is available, [and] that support with booking is available as needed."

For people between ages 75 an79,vaccine useisnearly 90 per cent.

The health unit has been inviting people70 and older to book vaccine appointments and, starting today, those60 and up can registerusing the provincial booking system.

You can also book by phone at705-674-2299 (toll-free: 1-800-708-2505), between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET, each day including weekends. Here's an alternate line:1-844-782-2273, between 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., each day.

In addition, select pharmacies across the province are booking appointments for AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines for eligible people,age 55 or older, in 2021. A small number of area primary-care practitioners are also starting toreceive the AstraZeneca vaccine this week.