Hamilton’s vast divide in vaccine uptake

Mobile clinics target clusters of the city significantly more vulnerable to the aggressive Delta variant

Hamilton’s COVID-19 vaccine divide is vast, with one area having 41 per cent of its population unvaccinated compared to just 20 per cent in another.

Overall, Hamilton is tied for Ontario’s worst vaccination rate with just 74 per cent of eligible residents having two doses — the other public health units at the bottom are Chatham-Kent, Lambton, Porcupine, and Renfrew County.

But that rate isn’t uniform across the city. Instead there are clusters of forward sortation areas (FSAs) — the first three characters of a postal code — where vaccine uptake is substantially higher or lower.

Four FSAs spanning much of the lower city are significantly more vulnerable to the aggressive Delta variant, as 35 to 41 per cent of their total population is unvaccinated.

To compare, 28 per cent of Hamilton’s total population hasn’t had a COVID shot.

“The vaccines ... have not necessarily gotten to some of the hardest to reach or more vulnerable people,” Dr. Lawrence Loh, medical officer of health for the Region of Peel, said at an Ontario Medical Association briefing Sep 9. “Our vaccine program is now shifting to reduce those barriers as much as possible being out and about ... where people are at to make this as easy and seamless as possible for them to get their questions answered and to get their vaccine.”

Hamilton has closed its mass vaccination clinics in favour of mobile COVID shots, with a significant number visiting areas with low uptake.

The worst vaccination rate is in the North End and industrial sector’s L8L FSA — not far behind are L8M, L8H and L8K. Together they cover roughly from Bayfront Park to Nash Road South and from the escarpment to Lake Ontario.

A fifth FSA on Stoney Creek Mountain — L8J — also has 35 per cent unvaccinated. It stretches from the Red Hill Valley Parkway to East Townline Road and from Rymal Road East to Ridge Road.

On the flip side, a cluster of four FSAs in the west have the best coverage. The highest is Westdale and Ainslie Wood’s L8S, followed by Dundas at L9H, Ancaster’s L9G and Kirkendall’s L8P, which stretches from Highway 403 to James Street South and from King Street West to the escarpment.

However, even the high-coverage areas have 20 to 25 per cent unvaccinated.

“The reality is we are in a fourth wave and we do have a significant proportion of our community that remains unvaccinated,” said Loh.

As a result, he continues to recommend avoiding large gatherings, reducing contacts, wearing masks and working from home when possible.

Hamilton has the fourthhighest COVID rate in Ontario behind Windsor-Essex, Chatham-Kent and Brant. However, the rate has dropped 25 per cent in the last seven days, shows analysis done by epidemiologist Ahmed Al-Jaishi.

Other key metrics have also fallen, with average daily new cases at 44 on Sept. 13 compared to 80 on Aug. 31. At the same time, the weekly rate per 100,000 population went down to 51 from 94.

However, cases are expected to increase again with kids back in school and as cooler weather drives gatherings indoors.

In addition, Hamilton Health Sciences says unvaccinated COVID patients are straining health resources, resulting in cancelled surgeries.

“It’s time to take on the antivaxx movement,” said Hamilton-Centre MPP and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath on Wednesday. “We deserve hospitals that are ready to care for our loved ones — not hospitals that are backed up with the unvaccinated taking up the resources.”