SIMCOE MUSKOKA – After three years of operation and more than 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine provided to the public, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) will close the immunization clinic at 29 Sperling Dr. in Barrie at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Until then, the health unit will continue to offer COVID-19 vaccinations by walk-in and appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments are available online through the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre or by calling 1-833-943-3900.

The 29 Sperling Dr. clinic opened in 2020 as a collaboration between the City of Barrie, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) and the health unit, becoming a well-known fixed location for testing and vaccination during the early days of the pandemic. The site housed a COVID-19 Testing Clinic and RVH’s COVID-19, Cold and Flu Care Clinic that closed earlier this year. The 29 Sperling immunization clinic has provided more than 300,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to the public since December 2020, contributing to the more than 1.6 million doses administered to individuals at all other locations throughout Simcoe Muskoka including community clinics, hospitals, pharmacies and health care providers since December 2020.

The clinic closure comes as health units across Ontario resume their core programs and local pharmacies are now providing the majority of COVID-19 vaccinations to residents. Individuals aged six months and older are able to receive the COVID-19 XBB vaccine formulation free of charge at participating local pharmacies and some health care providers. Since September 2023, 75 percent of COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered at local pharmacies across Simcoe Muskoka.

For more information about COVID-19, and immunization, visit our website or contact Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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