Local Kawartha Lakes health unit working with local boards to create school clinics

DAN CEARNS, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, for The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPR) is working on setting up school-based COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

“We are working closely with our regional school boards. We have three school boards we work with across our jurisdiction. We’re working with them to identify which schools would be a good fit for a school-based vaccination clinic, and then what [the] features of that clinic would be,” local medical officer of health Dr. Natalie Bocking told reporters, on Wednesday, January 26th.

She discussed how these vaccine clinics could differ from school to school.

“There may be some clinics where the school board says it is alright for parents to come in for their child’s appointment, and then there are other school boards [which] would prefer parents not come into the school for other reasons.”

However, Dr. Bocking assured everyone, parental consent would still be required for any child’s vaccination appointment.

“Parental consent will be obtained both ahead of time and then if [parents] are present, confirming at the time of the appointment,” she said.

#schools