The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) is advising that the Yellowknife Public Health Unit will be operating at reduced services from Oct. 21-Nov. 5 to facilitate seasonal flu vaccine clinics alongside Covid-19 vaccine clinics at Centre Square Mall.
Public Health will resume routine Covid vaccination clinics and services following the end of the seasonal flu clinic in Yellowknife on Nov. 5.
The following services will remain ongoing from Oct. 21-Nov. 5: One-Month Well Child Clinic, TB medication administration, sexually transmitted infection clinics and contact tracing, newborn/postnatal consultations, and home visits.
Additionally, at the direction of the chief public health officer, eligibility for booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine is being expanded to additional age groups effective immediately. The following groups are now eligible: Yellowknife residents aged 50 and older as of Dec. 31, 2021, and in all other NWT communities, residents who are aged 40 and older as of Dec. 31, 2021.
NTHSSA is also “strongly urging” those who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or have recently given birth, to get both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
Based on evidence of safety in pregnancy, benefits of receiving a Covid-19 vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination during pregnancy, according to NTHSSA.