At its October regular meeting, Huntsville council passed a resolution to facilitate a request by the Algonquin Family Health Team (AFHT), Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, and community physicians to use the Active Living Centre to provide COVID-19 vaccination clinics.
The move will enable patients of all eligible ages without a doctor or nurse practitioner to access the services for first, second and third doses, according to the resolution. It will also enable seasonal residents and visitors to the area to access the vaccines and will also enable primary care providers in Huntsville “to function uninterrupted in their offices and hubs, allowing continuity of care,” it reads.
The resolution also notes that the clinics will be separate from and not impact the COVID-19 assessment centre operations.
In a follow-up conversation with Janine van den Heuvel, executive director of AFHT, she said more information is forthcoming but in the interim the motion passed by council will pave the way to continue the relationship the family physicians currently have with the municipality. She said testing will continue in the mornings and the current plan is to provide vaccination in the afternoon for those who qualify.
Vaccination clinics previously held at the Active Living Centre were wrapped up after reaching certain milestones, explained van den Heuvel. “The model has shifted a bit and public health is going to be more of a supporter for these ongoing clinics. These clinics are specifically meant to target kind of the last mile, so those in the community who haven’t received their first or second dose yet, third doses for a defined population, and we’re waiting on the Ministry to give that announcement, and then childhood vaccination and we are also waiting on the Ministry to provide some clear direction on that as well,” she said.
“This [vaccination clinics] should capture everyone that wants one if they’re eligible,” she added.
More information on how to contact the clinic, how to book a time, hours of operation, and who qualifies are forthcoming, said van den Heuvel.
She said based on their best guess, they’re anticipating the vaccination clinics may be up and running by mid-November. How long they will run is still not clear.
“This is an ongoing effort,” said van den Heuvel, adding that COVID response in the community has been “a real team effort in Muskoka, and Huntsville in particular.” She said the Town, primary care and family health teams, public health, and other community partners have been an integral part of the local response to the pandemic.
Related: With COVID vaccines for under-12 on the horizon, health unit pauses other routine immunizations.
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