Haliburton County Community COVID-19 Vaccination FAQ

1. How will you determine the timing of COVID-19 vaccines for Haliburton County residents?
Prioritization (what groups of people will get the vaccines at what times) is based on guidelines from the Ontario Ministry of Health and the availability of vaccines from the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR DHU).

For more information about prioritization, visit Ontario.ca/CovidVaccine.

2. NEW! When and where will I receive my COVID-19 Vaccine?
As of March 22, 2021, adults who are 75 years of age or older (born in 1946 or earlier) can book an appointment at the Haliburton Family Medical Clinic to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. You must book your appointment through the provincial booking system (see Question 3).

More clinic locations and appointment times in Haliburton County will be added to the provincial booking system in the coming weeks; information will be shared broadly when these changes occur, as more vaccine becomes available in our community.

3. NEW! I am a 75+ year old adult with a permanent address in Haliburton County. How do I make an appointment to be vaccinated?
If you were born in 1946 or earlier, have a green Ontario health card (even if it is expired), and an email address, visit www.ontario.ca/bookvaccine to book your appointment.

If you were born in 1946 or earlier, have a red and white health card and/or no email address, call 1-888-999-6488 to book your appointment.

Friends and family members can book appointments for their loved ones.

4. Can I call the Haliburton Highlands Family Health Team, Haliburton Family Medical Centre, Haliburton Highlands Health Services, or Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit to be added to a waiting list for a vaccine or to book my vaccine appointment?
All of our community partners understand how anxious everyone is to receive their vaccine (and we want you to get your vaccine as fast as possible!), but there is no waiting list for vaccines and the partners cannot book your appointment.

Please do not call community partners about vaccination appointments, as the calls tie up the phone lines and staff who need to be able to respond to other urgent health care needs.

5. NEW! Is there anything I can do while I am waiting to book a vaccine appointment?
Yes. Everyone who wishes to receive a COVID-19 vaccine must complete a Ministry of Health COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form. You can complete the Consent Form ahead of time and bring it to your appointment. You will be screened and consent will be confirmed again at your appointment, so bringing this completed form will help speed up the process.

Click here to download a copy of the Vaccine Consent Form.

Printed copies of the form are also available at various locations in Minden (thanks to the Minden Rotary Club) and Haliburton (thanks to the Haliburton Rotary Club).

It is important to note that some clinics are obtaining consent on site through an electronic method, while others require the paper form to be completed. Either way, it is helpful for anyone wishing to receive the vaccine to review the consent form in advance, in the event they have questions – and to help ensure the vaccine clinic process and experience takes place as smoothly as possible.

If you have a friend or family member who needs assistance using a computer, you can help them by downloading, printing, and completing the form. Please follow all public health guidelines (masking and distancing from anyone outside your household).

6. NEW! What can I expect before, during, and after my vaccine appointment?
On your appointment day, if you are feeling unwell, please cancel your appointment and book another one at a later date.

When you arrive at the clinic you will be screened prior to entering, to ensure you are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms and/or that you have not had exposure to anyone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19.

If you are feeling well, please:

• Wear a short-sleeved shirt to your appointment to speed-up vaccine administration.
• Wear a mask if you have one. If you don’t have a mask, one will be provided for you.
• Wear weather-appropriate clothing/outerwear, as you may be asked to wait in your car or outside for your appointment to start.
• Bring your completed COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form, as well as your health card, to your appointment.
• NEW! If you booked your vaccination appointment online, bring proof of your booking confirmation to your appointment.

For the 75+ clinic, plan to arrive to the Haliburton Family Medical Centre no more than 10 minutes before your appointment, but please do not arrive late. Keeping your appointment on time is critical for staff to be able to vaccinate large numbers of people. You can expect your appointment to take 30 minutes in total.

Parking at the Haliburton Family Medical Centre will be free for anyone with a vaccination appointment. Park in the visitors parking at the front of the centre. If the yellow gate is down for parking, you will receive a parking pass prior to exiting.

For those with mobility challenges, a drop-off zone will be available. Your driver can drop you off and then proceed to the parking lot.  

Enter the Haliburton County Family Medical Centre on the ground-floor. You will be screened for COVID-19 and directed upstairs to check-in for your appointment. Follow the directions you are given by staff, as well as the posted signage. Once they are ready for you, you will be directed to vaccinator and they will administer your vaccine.

Following the administration of your vaccine, you will be directed to a waiting area for a mandatory 15-minute observation. Staff may ask you to remain for longer (up to 30 minutes) as needed.

You will then be checked-out with either a paper confirmation of your vaccination and/or an electronic confirmation sent to the email address you provided on your COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form.

As required by all vaccination sites in the province, your vaccination information and date will be entered into the COVax_ON reporting system by staff.

7. If I am not in the 75+ year age cohort, what can I expect before, during, and after my vaccine appointment?
The location of your clinic has not yet been confirmed. You can expect that the information in Question 6 about what your appointment will look like will be the same, but your appointment may be in a different location.

8. Can I choose which vaccine I want to receive?
No. Vaccination clinics do not choose which vaccine type or quantity they receive. Once vaccines are shipped to clinic locations, they must be used before their expiry date. Only once the supply has been exhausted will more shipments be sent.

9. It looks like I won’t be eligible to receive a vaccine for a while. What should I do until then?
Please continue to follow all public health measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19, including staying home as much as possible, practicing physical distancing, wearing a mask or face covering in public spaces, and getting tested for COVID-19 if you are experiencing any of the symptoms.

You can also complete your Ministry of Health COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form ahead of time, so that you can bring it to your eventual appointment. You will be screened and consent will be confirmed again at your appointment, so bringing this completed form will help speed up the process.

NEW! It is important to note that some clinics are obtaining consent on site through an electronic method, while others require the paper form to be completed. Either way, it is helpful for anyone wishing to receive the vaccine to review the consent form in advance, in the event they have questions – and to help ensure the vaccine clinic process and experience takes place as smoothly and as quickly as possible.

10. What if I am feeling unsure about receiving a vaccine?
Safe and reliable vaccines can help protect you and your family from COVID-19. They are an important tool to help stop the spread of the virus and allow individuals, families and workers to safely resume normal life.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine does not cause a coronavirus infection. It helps to build up your immunity to the virus, so your body will fight it off more easily if it affects you.

Only vaccines that Health Canada determines to be safe and effective will be approved for use in Canada and available in Ontario.

The four vaccines currently approved by Health Canada:

• were tested on a large number of people through extensive clinical trials
• have met all the requirements for approval, including safety
• will be monitored for any adverse reactions that may occur after vaccination and appropriate measures will be taken

You can find more information about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, how they work, and possible side effects by visiting Ontario.ca/CovidVaccine and looking for the section on “Vaccine Safety”.