Public health officials in Windsor-Essex are expressing concern after the number of people who received a COVID-19 vaccine dropped by 46.4 per cent last week from the week before.
Between January 10 and January 16, 19,308 people got first, second, or third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in the region. That dropped to 10,342 the week of January 17 to 23.
An epidemiological summary from the health unit Thursday morning said those in the 5-to-11 age group have the lowest full vaccination rate in the region at just 11.3 per cent.
"We are 60 per cent of our children 5-to-11 who haven't received a first dose," said Director of Epidemiology Ramsey D'Souza. "And, a large population of our individuals 18-to-50 who haven't received a booster yet either."
According to the daily summary, only 49.9 per cent of those over 18 have had their booster shot.
CEO Nicole Dupuis said the supply is steady, and the region's mass vaccination clinics have capacity. However, the health unit may have to re-evaluate how it delivers its outreach.
"We are concerned about the drop-off, but we are regrouping, and we'll adjust our plans," she said.
Vaccination rates have plateaued in the past.
"Similar to last year, we were climbing, climbing, and then we hit a little bit of a wall," explained Dupuis. "We had to undertake different strategies to reach that final number."
Acting Medical Officer of Health Doctor Shanker Nesathurai remains confident the region will hit the over 90 per cent mark in vaccination rates, reaching herd immunity.
He continued to call on the province to amend the Immunization School Pupils Act to include COVID-19 vaccination.
On Thursday, the health unit reported 269 new COVID-19 cases and 1,827 active infections in high-risk settings.
It also reported another three deaths. The latest fatalities were three women in their 70s who lived in the community. They were among the 70 deaths recorded across Ontario on Thursday.
Ontario Health reported a dip in the number of people currently in hospitals with the virus. There were 3,645 on Thursday, down from 4,016 on Wednesday, along with 599 in intensive care.
In local hospitals, 103 people have tested positive for the virus, and there are 14 in the region's intensive care units.
