Pinebush clinic reopens as region expects ‘surge’ in demand for bivalent booster

The COVID-19 bivalent booster shot is available to all adults in Ontario starting Monday.

The Cambridge Pinebush clinic will be open all week with varying hours for the Omicron-targeted booster vaccine.

“We’re anticipating [for] four to six weeks that there will be this big surge and then we will reassess and see if it needs to be opened for longer,” said Jessie Johal, the director of infectious diseases COVID-19 response with the Region Of Waterloo Public Health. “Pharmacies are also offering it. Primary care providers are also offering it. So people have a lot of choice to get it.”

The Pinebush clinic started winding down operations earlier this year due to the decline in vaccine demand but reopened the mass vaccination clinic once the province approved the bivalent booster shot.

“We're anticipating there to be a surge in demand, so we reopened this site, so we can accommodate,” Johal.

At the Pinebush clinic, spots were filling up quickly as residents needed to book an appointment to get their booster shot.

“We have about 400 appointments open, and I think we're fully booked or close to,” said Johal.

“The hope is after this first few weeks that we're back and providing some of the mobile options that we've been doing.”

Appointments can be made online through the provincial COVID-19 vaccination portal.

The recommended wait is six months from the last booster dose.

The booster comes as the region said it is preparing for a rise in COVID-19 cases.

“We're relatively stable, about 50 patients a day. However, the numbers are starting to inch up,” said Marianne Walker, COVID-19 hospital lead for Waterloo Wellington.

In Waterloo-Wellington, some hospitals have said they are already at, or nearing, capacity.

“Many more people are having COVID in the community, and at the same time, we're going to have to deal with all of those respiratory diseases that we didn’t have last year because people were masking,” said Walker.

Health experts are encouraging people to keep up to date with vaccinations, as they believe this will help ease pressure on hospitals and minimize spread.

One person at Pinebush on Monday told CTV News they are getting the vaccine because they want to be safe and help out those with health issues.

Another person said: “With all the variations that are out there, it’s an opportunity to get the new shot that’s out and available for us to protect our friends, our family, and our neighbours.”