All eligible long-term care (LTC) residents across Simcoe Muskoka have been offered and the great majority have accepted and received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine along with some employees and essential caregivers at the homes.
With the government’s direction that the Pfizer vaccine could be safely transported, immunization immediately focused on the region’s long-term care homes. The LTC immunization roll-out began January 11 and in less than a week 3,545 people in 30 LTC homes were vaccinated by mobile teams from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) in collaboration with Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH).
The next phase of the vaccination roll-out includes more than 3,000 residents in the region’s 52 retirement homes over the next 10 days.
“This is a significant milestone in our immunization roll-out plan,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. “By vaccinating residents of long-term care homes and residents in retirement homes we are taking another important and critical step in the fight against COVID-19. Getting the vaccine to those who need it most as quickly as possible will save lives.”
The COVID-19 Immunization Clinic in Barrie, a partnership between SMDHU, RVH and the City of Barrie, opened December 22, 2020. Since then, between the Barrie clinic and the mobile clinics, 12,885 (as of Jan. 17) doses of the vaccine have been administered to long-term care and retirement home residents, employees and essential caregivers and prioritized hospital workers.
“The rapid immunization of our most vulnerable residents could not have been completed so efficiently without the support of many community partners including doctors, nurses and paramedic services in both Simcoe County and Muskoka who stepped up to help,” said Janice Skot, RVH’s president and chief executive officer. “I must also applaud the hard work of staff at both the health unit and RVH for their roles in coordinating and implementing this important immunization.”
Once supply and delivery of the Pfizer vaccine increases, the immunization plan will continue to be rolled-out to other priority groups, including Indigenous communities and healthcare workers.
The public is reminded that during the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine it’s important that everyone continue to strictly follow public health measures to reduce and prevent transmission of the virus: Wear a mask, physically distance from those outside your household, wash your hands frequently, stay home if you are sick, and get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms.
For more information, visit the health unit’s COVID-19 Vaccine and Immunization web page or call Health Connection to speak with a public health professional weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 705-721-7520 (1-877-721-7520). More information about the vaccine and immunization can also be found at ontario.ca.
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Paul Clayson says
why should residents in retirement homes get priority over other 80+ seniors in their homes. Have we slipped through the cracks?
Paul Clayson
Sandy McLennan says
Good news, yet sthe article sounds like Fordian self-aggrandizement:
3,545 people have “received their first dose”. When will they get the second?
In the future: “The next phase of the vaccination roll-out includes more than 3,000 residents in the region’s 52 retirement homes”
It hasn’t been done yet, but the promotion makes it sound like history, calling it a: “significant milestone in our immunization roll-out plan”. Early back-patting, seeing as even after this major accomplishment-to-come, there’s a heckuva long way to go.
Carry on. I am not ungrateful, just noticing and pointing out how sometimes “news” is told to us here in Talk Nation.
Dawn Huddlestone, Managing Editor says
Paul, long-term care and retirement homes have been given priority because congregate living situations are at much higher risk given the people coming and going from those facilities.
Paul Clayson says
I understand that Dawn, but that is now old news. When is someone going to tell other 80+ seniors when their turn comes. Read the UK Telegraph, full of letters about lack of communication
Lorene Ryall says
My husband is 89, has dementia and I am his primary caregiver. Until covid-19 entered this world he attended a day program offered through the Alzheimer’s society 3 days a week. For an entire year he has barely left our condo. I worry that if I get ill, who is going to look after him. I can not stress enough how difficult this past year has been on his emotional connection to life, nor my sense of isolation and at times frustration with the overwhelming feeling of daily responsibility for both our physical well being. As so many others in our communities, we have adhered to all the advised guidelines and precautions. It would be great if we clearly understood the when, how, and where timeline of vaccinations, and exactly how you will determine and notify us of our priority on such a list. Thanks