Rideau-Rockcliffe Family Medicine

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Please do not call our office regarding the COVID vaccine. We need to keep our phone lines free for patients with immediate medical needs. Your best resource is the Ottawa Public Health website (link below). 

Useful website showing availability of vaccine appointments: https://vaccine-ontario.ca/

We recommend taking the first vaccine offered to you.

SECOND DOSE of COVID VACCINE:

• Anyone who booked a first dose of Pfizer or Moderna on or before April 18, can reschedule an existing second dose booking for an earlier date through the provincial booking tool starting Monday, June 7 at 8 am. Anyone who booked a first dose of Pfizer of Moderna on or before April 18 can also book their second dose at a participating pharmacy starting Friday, June 4.

• This applies to both those who booked their first doses through the provincial system and those who booked their first doses through Ottawa Public Health.

• Individuals who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfize or Moderna) on or before May 9, 2021 will be able to move up their second dose appointment on the provincial booking system as of Monday, June 21, 2021 at 8 am.

• Starting the week of June 28, 2021 (days / sequence to be confirmed) all Ontarians aged 18 and over who have received their first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will be eligible to book their second dose appointment. The appointment will be scheduled at least 28 days after the first dose, per the recommended interval.

Visit Ontario.ca/bookvaccine to access the provincial booking system or call the provincial vaccine booking line at 1-833-943-3900 between 8 am and 8 pm, seven days a week. Only book or call if you are eligible.  

COVID VACCINE CLINICS

For those who received the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine at our clinic, we will be organizing a booster clinic on July 10, 2021, with the Moderna vaccine. You will receive an email notification with the details. While receiving a booster with any of the vaccines is an option (Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca), the Moderna vaccine is the one available to us at this time.

POP UP CLINICS:

Only residents living in the specific neighbourhoods will be eligible for first-dose vaccination. Second doses will be available for any priority neighbourhood resident of any age who received their first dose on or before April 18, 2021. For residents aged 70+, they can receive a second dose 28 days after receiving an mRNA vaccine, and 56 days after receiving Astra-Zeneca vaccine. Appointments can only be made in-person during operating hours, on a first come first serve basis. 

• Saturday June 19 and Sunday June 20 – 9 am to 7 pm Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, 102 Greenview Ave

• Monday June 21, 11:30 am to 7:30 pm AMA Community Centre – 1216 Hunt Club Rd

• Tuesday June 22, 11:30 am to 7:30 pm St. Joseph’s Adult High School – 330 Lajoie St

• Wednesday June 23 to Friday June 25 , 11:30 am to 7:30 pm Bayshore Shopping Centre – 100 Bayshore Dr. North Entrance #2

• Saturday June 26 , 9 am to 5 pm Howard Darwin Centennial (Merivale) Arena – 1765 Merivale Rd.

• Sunday June 27, 9 am to 5 pm and Monday June 28 , 11:30 am to 7:30 pm AMA Community Centre – 1216 Hunt Club Rd. 

List of eligible priority neighbourhoods:

• West Centretown
• Emerald Woods – Sawmill Creek
• Greenboro East
• Hunt Club Park
• Hawthorne Meadows – Sheffield Glen
• Ledbury – Heron Gate – Ridgemont
• Riverview
• Parkwood Hills – Stewart Farm
• Lowertown East-ByWard Market
• Sandy Hill
• Vanier North
• Vanier South
• Manor Park
• Overbrook – McArthur
• Carson Grove – Carson Meadows
• Carleton Heights – Rideauview
• Carlington
• Hunt Club East – Western Community
• Whitehaven – Queensway Terrace North
• Bayshore – Belltown
• Britannia Village

Residents in priority neighbourhoods may also be eligible for vaccination at the Bruyère Family Medicine Centre. Please visit bruyere.org to review eligibility and access their online booking tool.

To check your eligibility or for more information about upcoming pop-up clinic locations and neighbourhoods visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca. 

NEW LOWER AGE LIMIT:

Beginning Tuesday, May 23 at 8 am, all Ottawa residents age 12 and older (on the day of their vaccine appointment) can begin booking appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at community clinics.

Visit Ontario.ca/bookvaccine to access the provincial booking system or call the provincial vaccine booking line at 1-833-943-3900 between 8 am and 8 pm, seven days a week. Only book or call if you are eligible.

Initial appointments for patients ages 18 and older filled up quickly – more appointments have been added on May 23rd. You can also ask your local pharmacy about their vaccine availability.

Everyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one soon.

AstraZeneca vaccines

For those who received the AstraZeneca as their first vaccine, rest assured that you did the right thing! The the reason for the pause of AstraZeneca rollout as a first vaccine was multifactorial (including an increased supply of mRNA vaccines and declining COVID numbers). You took an extremely effective vaccine, decreasing your risk of illness, hospitalization and death, and contributing to the decreasing transmission of COVID in our community. The overall risk of blood clots remains very low (estimated 1.7: 100,000 based on Ontario data and 1: 1 million for 2^nd doses based on UK data).

Please do not phone or email the clinic in regard to COVID vaccines.  

Information on vaccines:

• Understanding the blood clot issue behind the AstraZeneca vaccine and its safety: www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/04/17/understanding-the-blood-clot-issue
• Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology recommendations for COVID vaccination in pregnant patients: sogc.org/common/Uploaded%20files/Latest%20News/SOGC_Statement_COVID-19_Vaccination_in_Pregnancy.pdf
• Answers to vaccine questions for patients over 80: https://www.ontariofamilyphysicians.ca/tools-resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-vaccines/covid-vax-80plus-qa.pdf 
• Short patient education videos developed by healthcare workers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUKIRxHVLkEUm727UtibHSg
• Ontario Ministry of Health vaccine information https://covid-19.ontario.ca/getting-covid-19-vaccine-ontario#phase-1