Priority groups will soon be able to access COVID vaccines in Muskoka.
Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) medical officer of health, Dr. Gardner, said in his weekly briefing today that vaccine clinics will be opening across the region next week.
More details on the clinics and who will be eligible for vaccines in the next phase will be released by the health unit later this week, but Dr. Gardner did provide general information.
Those eligible for appointments initially are based on the priority groups identified by the province, and will include residents older than 85 years, Indigenous adults older than 55 years in First Nations communities, those receiving adult chronic homecare, and high-priority healthcare workers such as those treating COVID-19 cases in institutions or the community.
People booking appointments will be screened to ensure they are eligible, Dr. Gardner noted.
There will be two clinic locations in Muskoka, but where those will be have not yet been announced.
The vaccine will be allocated to each clinic within the health unit’s region based primarily on the percentage of people in each area who are eligible, but that the health unit will also consider the level of transmission of the virus within each community.
It will take several months for the health unit to vaccinate people in this next phase, he added, in part due to vaccine supply which will still be limited at the beginning of March. The health unit will use the early weeks of the clinics to fine-tune the operation of those facilities, he said.
Residents from outside an area, including seasonal residents and those working in communities where they don’t live full-time, will also be allowed to access vaccines provided they are in the priority groups that have been identified for immunization at that time. A resident of Muskoka could also travel to a clinic in another location like Barrie to be vaccinated.
“This is a mobile society, and we also know that a lot of people go to Muskoka who are seasonal residents and we need to plan for more of that as you get into the warmer weather,” said Dr. Gardner. “In terms of…how much vaccine we would provide at those clinics, we need to take that into account, because if you don’t immunize people that move around then your community remains at risk. The people that come into your community, if they are not immunized and they can’t get access to it, then transmission can still happen via those individuals. It’s in our interest to immunize people, even if they are moving around.”
He noted that two Muskoka cases of a variant of concern have now been identified. Although the health unit will not reveal the location of those cases, Dr. Gardner did confirm that they are a result of contact with people travelling from Barrie for work.
Dr. Gardner also said that he is concerned about the rise in the number of cases of COVID variants and urged people to stay home as much as possible. Based on the increase in cases in the region, he may also soon recommend to the province that Simcoe Muskoka be moved into a Grey-Lockdown zone.
The health unit will release full details about the COVID vaccine clinics and how appointments can be booked later this week.
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Where & when will we be able to get the
Vaccine. (Noel is 87 & Maxine is 85)
Fascinating to witness this very human rollout of a medical miracle that has millions “dying” to roll up their sleeves. Especially when it might involve city folk coming to the countryside for the jab rather than to view our scenery, and octogenarians trying to prove there’re not too young to get a poke.
Just for the record: only 38 Million Canadians, not 330 Million…yet.
Someday perhaps if Canada survives pestilence, war and “climate” issues current leadership are contending with at the moment.
Google, of course, like any of us, can appear authoritative while being factually incorrect.
After telling us for nearly a year “not to move from one area to another” so as to stop the spread of the virus, we are not going to “reward” those who travel in this way because… well .. you know … Yeah right.
I think Dave Abbot has a valid viewpoint here.
On the other hand, here is an idea that might speed things up.
Google tells me there are 338 members of our Federal House of Commons.
There are about 330 million Canadians.
If we invoke a bit of “proportionality” here. For every million Canadians who get a vaccination, one of those MP’s also gets a vaccination.
When we are all vaccinated, so will all the MP’s be done.
I’ll bet you a coffee at Starbucks that this would get vaccinations moving faster!
If Ontario’s next group to vaccinate is over 80, how can our regions be different with over 85. The province should be the same everywhere
To expand on key points presented in other comments:
1. Clarification from SMDHU re the allocation of doses is essential, since the precedent set here will impact future phases in the immunization process.
Are the number of doses available to Muskoka based on permanent population or the total of the permanent and seasonal population?
It seems reasonable that doses would be based on the permanent population of each area/region; otherwise, doses allocated to municipalities/districts would be duplicated.
According to the 2017 Second Home Study (p 11):
As of 2016, seasonal residents outnumber permanent residents (81,907 seasonal residents ; 60, 599 permanent residents).
(https://muskoka.civicweb.net/document/31319)
2. Reducing travel from high-risk areas has been an ongoing theme in the messages from both Health Canada the Ontario Ministry of Health. Making vaccines available to seasonal residents simply encourages such travel.
Dr. Gardner’s position is well-argued and clearly stated. We live in a community, in a district, in an area, connected by roadways; the principle of transmission is understandable and so are the vaccine priorities.
The vaccine is coming folks, hang in.
Totally agree with David Abbott , vaccinate residents for protection against incoming summer
Population not the other way around , very backward indeed !
Come on. How dumb can you be. Seasonal residents should be vaccinated in their “home” locations. Does this mean Muskoka will get more vaccines based on our “summer” population? If yes, then this plan makes sense, if no, then this show how illogical our health unit is. But I should be kind, the beaurocrates have only had limited time to figure this out. Would like them to explain their logic for this approach.
I wish Dr Gardner would make up his mind and stop changing the roll out of vaccines. Next roll out is now people over 85 while the Ontario Government has said 80+
The decision to give priority to those travelling into our area is, in my opinion, completely backwards. Residents should be vaccinated to provide immunity from those travelling around and certainly from seasonal visitors.
This comment will probably not make the slightest difference, except to my emotional health.