Lambton Public Health is offering additional flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics this season, along with those offered by pharmacies and health care providers.

The additional clinics by the local public health agency come at the direction of the Ministry of Health, said Carshenan Lai, the agency’s health protection supervisor.

“Last year, and years previous, we had pediatric COVID-19 and influenza vaccine clinics, but this year we have what’s called expanded-access clinics,” Lai said.

“It’s basically short-term community access to COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccine for eligible individuals of all age groups,” she said.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory illness, particularly among infants, young children, and older adults, affecting the lungs and airways, according to the Ministry of Health.

Additional clinics also are being offered at community locations, Lai said.

Clinic locations and information can be found on the Lambton Public Health website, lambtonpublichealth.ca.

Lambton Public Health’s clinics at its location on Exmouth Street in Point Edward begin Oct. 23 with a pediatric flu and COVID vaccination clinic, Lai said.

Lambton Public Health office.Lambton Public Health’s office in Point Edward is shown here. (File photo/The Observer)

“Anybody who lives, works or goes to school in Ontario is eligible for a COVID-19 or flu vaccine, starting Oct. 26 or later,” she said.

Individuals meeting certain criteria may be eligible for earlier vaccines, Lai said.

Appointments for the clinics at Lambton Public Health are required and can be made by calling 519-383-8331, ext. 3589.

“People can also get flu and COVID-19 vaccines through pharmacies and participating health care providers,” Lai said.

Older adult RSV vaccines are also available from participating health care providers, she said.

“We definitely have more availability, so hopefully people don’t have an issue finding a place to get vaccinated this year,” Lai said.

Lambton Public Health is urging residents not to wait to get vaccinated. “It does take up to two weeks to get full protection,” she said.

“Unfortunately, some people still get very sick from the flu, and it’s important to think about not just protecting yourself but also protecting those around you,” Lai said.

Lambton had “a bit of an early flu season” last year and cases of COVID-19 and RSV remained low, she said.

The COVID-19 shot is now an annual vaccine and “people should get re-vaccinated every year,” Lai said. “Each year the vaccine is updated and aligns with the current strains that are circulating for that season.”

“It has not gone away, unfortunately,” she said. “People can still get very sick and hospitalized from COVID, especially the very young, the very old and people who have underlying health conditions.”

Paul Morden has been a reporter at The Observer since 1984. He writes about Lambton County council, local industry and general news