As more people in Niagara become fully vaccinated against COVID-19, public health may start changing their strategy.
Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji says 68 percent of people, over two-thirds, now have some level of vaccination.
"Now that we're hitting the point where the demand is meeting the supply, or we may even be getting to the point where supply is exceeding demand, I think we will be shifting our strategy a bit more. Not focused on running big clinics and taking everybody who comes, but doing a lot of smaller clinics in the community."
Hirji says the focus of those clinics would be for people who are eligible for the vaccine, but do not want to go through the process of booking an appointment.
"I'm quite optimistic that we'll get probably close to 80 percent of people in the end who get vaccinated from COVID-19."
Anyone who still needs a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can get one without an appointment at the Niagara Health Seymour-Hannah mass vaccination clinic in St. Catharines. The clinic is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days. The clinic is also offering a stand-by line for second doses starting at 2 p.m. daily.
As of the last official update, almost 578,000 vaccine doses have been administered in Niagara through the combined work of Public Health, Niagara Health, pharmacies, and doctors.
Currently, 52.6 percent of Niagara residents have completed the two-shot vaccine series.