Data Cleanup Expected to Increase Haldimand-Norfolk Vaccination Rate | The Canadian News

The Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) says the discovery of a map confusion will improve the region’s COVID-19 vaccination rate for those 12 and older by up to four percent in the coming days.

HNHU epidemiologist Kate Bishop-Williams told Global News in an email that the discrepancy was discovered in a pair of FSAs (Forward Sorting Areas) that were credited to the Brant County Health Unit.

Up to 8,000 doses tied to 4,000 residents will affect the region’s rate as the data cleanup, which began in early August, completes.

“The data cleansing process is 75 percent complete,” Bishop-Williams said.

“This is likely to be completed today or tomorrow and the data is updated daily. We estimate that the total impact of this cleanup will be an increase in vaccination coverage rates of 3.7-4.0 percent for HNHU ”.

Officials say the individual vaccination records of those living in the FSAs, N0E 1V0 in Vanessa and N0A 1H0 in Hagersville, are not affected by the discovery.

For months, Haldimand-Norfolk was reported to have the second worst two-dose COVID vaccine rate in Ontario, with just 73 percent of residents reported as fully vaccinated on September 3.

Only Chatham-Kent was worse with only 72 percent receiving the required two doses.

With some of the data updates completed, Haldimand-Norfolk dropped out of last place for second doses among those 12 and older and is now 29th out of 34 health units as of Sept. 8 at 74.4 percent. .

Hamilton now trails the HNHU at 32 at 74.2 percent. Chatham-Kent is ranked 34th as of Thursday with a double dose rate of about 73 percent.

As of August 22, the HNHU ranked 21st among 34 health units with COVID tests that returned positive results in provincial laboratories at a rate of 2.57 percent. The region also had one of the lowest test rates per 100,000 inhabitants, recorded at 605.53. The provincial average in that period was 906.57 per 100,000.

Bishop-Williams says the error was discovered when the health unit began receiving provincial-level reports with higher vaccination rates than previously transmitted to the county.

“When it was noticed, we met with the ministry several times to confirm the data and the process, and we designed a system with them to correct the error,” Bishop-Williams said.

“The data cleansing started after each address was carefully validated to be within HNHU boundaries.”

Despite the discovery, HNHU executives say vaccination rates remain low and are increasing more slowly than anticipated.

“We continue to offer vaccines in as many places and ways as we can in communities,” said Sarah Page, Norfolk’s chief of emergency medical services.

“Vaccination coverage rates are increasing, albeit slowly. We do our best to find residents where they are and provide vaccines in a safe and convenient way that meets their needs. “

Global News has reached out to the Ontario Ministry of Health for comment.

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