The Ottawa area's weekly COVID-19 vaccination checkup: Aug. 5

Highlights:

• Provinces are again scrambling to use vaccines before they expire.

• Officials repeat that getting vaccinated helps in case of exposure.

• Ottawa mentions childcare, transit as barriers to getting a shot.

• Pop-up clinics are coming to places such as farmer's markets and fire halls.

Every Thursday, CBC Ottawa brings you this roundup of COVID-19 vaccination developments throughout the region. You can find more information through links at the bottom of the page.

There have been more than 3.1 million doses administered in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region, which has about 2.3 million residents. That's about 75,000 doses in the last week as the pace continues to slow from the peak in late spring and early summer.

Provincial picture

Ontario's back-to-school plan does not include mandatory vaccines.

Its next vaccination thresholds to exit Step 3 are 80 per cent of eligible residents (12 and older) with at least one vaccine dose, 75 per cent fully vaccinated, and no health unit with less than 70 per cent fully vaccinated.

The province has met that first dose goal at 81 per cent, while about 71 per cent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.

More than 84 per cent of eligible Quebec residents have had at least one dose and 68 per cent are fully vaccinated. Its target is to have 75 per cent of eligible people fully vaccinated by the end of August.

Calls have begun for Quebec to implement a vaccine passport system due to a rise in case trends in some areas.

Ontario pharmacists and some health units warn they're on the verge of having thousands of Moderna doses expire.

Quebec has stopped ordering Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford doses and has returned hundreds of thousands of doses to the federal government. It is starting to keep its Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines in reserve.

This comes as the World Health Organization asks countries not to give booster shots until October at the earliest so those doses can go to countries in need.

Ottawa

Ottawa Public Health is one of the health units pitching people on the benefits of getting both vaccine doses as soon as possible in case they're exposed. That can prevent mandatory self-isolation — an outbreak in the Trenton area is an example.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches said she and her team are working to understand people's barriers to getting vaccinated, mentioning transit and childcare as examples.

She also shared advice on how to talk to people who have been hesitant to get a shot.

Ottawa has pop-up clinics for anyone eligible to get a first or second dose and is bringing mobile vaccine clinics to those who request it.

Pop-up clinic locations in the next few days include Woodroffe High School and the AMA Community Centre.

More than 1.4 million doses have now been given to Ottawa residents. That includes almost 670,000 second doses.

Seventy-three per cent of the city's total population of about 1,050,000 has had at least one dose, including 83 per cent of eligible residents.

Sixty-three per cent of the total population is fully vaccinated, as are 72 per cent of eligible residents.

It's one of the health units setting a goal of 90 per cent of its total population being fully vaccinated.

Western Quebec

The Outaouais has distributed more than 510,000 doses — combined first and second — among a population of about 386,000.

As of the most recent update July 27, about 69 per cent of its total population have at least one dose and about 53 per cent are fully vaccinated.

That doesn't count residents who may have been vaccinated in Ontario.

It continues to list mobile and walk-in clinics online.

Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington

Mass clinics closed on Monday. Smaller clinics and mobile clinics continue to better reach areas with lower vaccination rates, with options shared regularly online and on its social feeds.

Upcoming options include the Glenburnie Fire Station and Kingston's Memorial Centre Farmer's Market.

The region, with a population of about 213,000, has had more than 292,000 vaccine doses — combined first and second — given to residents, including more than 137,000 second doses.

The health unit has now given a first dose to more than 82 per cent of its eligible population 12 and older, and about 73 per cent of eligible people have been fully vaccinated.

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark

The health unit has given more than 255,000 doses to residents.

Eighty-eight per cent of eligible residents have at least one dose, and 77 per cent of them have both doses.

There is a steady supply of vaccines and the unit is posting walk-up vaccine locations on Twitter. It's closing its mass vaccine clinics at the end of August and moving to a mobile clinic model.

Hastings Prince Edward

Standby vaccine lists aren't being offered here any longer as officials focus on walk-in clinics instead. It regularly shares those clinic details online and on social media.

The last day for its Loyalist College mass clinic is Friday. There are regular clinics in Bancroft, Belleville and Picton.

About 220,000 doses have been administered to this area's residents, including nearly 99,000 second doses. Another 5,200 or so doses have been given at CFB Trenton.

Eighty-one per cent of the eligible local population has now had a first dose. Sixty-six per cent are fully vaccinated.

Eastern Ontario Health Unit

This health unit wraps up its mass clinics Aug. 27, telling people with a later appointment to rebook or visit a walk-in clinic as it switches to a more flexible plan. Details are regularly shared on its website and social media.

About 270,000 vaccine doses have been administered among a population of about 209,000. About 80 per cent of eligible residents are partially vaccinated and about 68 per cent are fully vaccinated.

In laying out the health unit's goal of 85 to 90 per cent fully vaccinated, Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said getting there will be "the last mile" in the vaccination campaign.

"If you're having second thoughts about getting your dose, please go ahead and do it. That will [lead to] a much better exit out of Step 3 into normalcy," he said.

WATCH | His vaccine update starts around 1:30:

Renfrew County

Mass clinics are done and it regularly shares pop-up and walk-in clinic information online. Thursday's clinics are in Arnprior, Barry's Bay and Head, Clara & Maria.

With a population of about 109,000, Renfrew County has distributed more than 137,000 doses as of its last update on July 28.

More than 81 per cent of its eligible population, including military at Garrison Petawawa, have at least a first dose and more than 73 per cent are fully vaccinated.