Chatham-Kent is #1 in Canada for vaccinating the highest proportion of its residents

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is tops in Canada, when it comes to administering the COVID-19 vaccine to the highest proportion of their population.

Dr. David Colby, Chatham-Kent’s Medical Officer of Health, broke the news during a conference call with the media on Thursday, March 11, 2021.

“Of all the Health Units across Ontario, Chatham-Kent is number one in terms of the proportion of its population being vaccinated,” Dr. Colby said.

“As of right now, we have vaccinated over 11,000 people with first doses of this vaccine. That is the highest proportion in all of Ontario and in all of Canada.”

Dr. Colby added: “Just like when Chatham-Kent comes together to get Boardwalk and Park Place as Chatham-Kent, our little community has once again hit the ball out of the park. It’s really important that everybody gets behind this effort to get as many first doses, which is the one where you get most of the beneficial effect of a vaccine, into people as soon as possible.”

Dr. Colby also issued a plea to local employers to allow their employees to take time of work to get vaccinated.

“We have a long standing democratic tradition in Canada that we get time off of work to vote… and that’s very important, but I’m not here to talk about that,” he said.

“I think it is actually more important that employers across the entire spectrum, public and private, allow their employees time off to go and get their vaccine when their turn comes up because getting everybody vaccinated is the only way we are going to get this pandemic (behind us.)

Dr. Colby added: “We’re off to a fantastic start and we want to keep going as best we can. When people get scheduled, I would plead with all of the employers across Chatham-Kent, let your employees go when they get an appointment. It’s better for your firm, it’s better for them, it’s better for you, it’s better for all of us.”

Lori Marshall, the president and CEO of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, said she learned about the news for the first time during the conference call.

“I think that’s tremendous news,” she said.

“My congratulations to Public Health, to the CK EMS, to Chatham-Kent Health Alliance for the partnership of coming together to create that mass vaccine centre at the Bradley Centre. There is as a shared mission and with that is a commitment to deliver vaccine into the arms of the residents of Chatham-Kent.”

Marshall added: “I’m just so delighted today, on the anniversary of the pandemic having been declared by the World Health Organization, to have such hopeful news for our community.”

Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff said this is a wonderful example of Chatham-Kent coming together.

“All four organizations putting together this clinic, but as well the citizens of Chatham-Kent working with that and making it happen,” the Mayor said.

“Without the citizens being cooperative, this would not be happening. When we are number one in Canada for 100,000 people for the vaccine… that is some fantastic news and really shines well on our community.”

Earlier on Thursday morning, public health officials announced a total of 11,540 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered to date.