{"id":94567,"date":"2021-02-17T07:52:16","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T12:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/huntsville.dopperonline.ca\/?p=94567"},"modified":"2021-03-19T19:14:58","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T23:14:58","slug":"feb-17-2021-mpp-norm-miller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/feb-17-2021-mpp-norm-miller\/","title":{"rendered":"Phase 2 of COVID vaccine rollout to start in March: MPP Norm Miller"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller<\/em><\/p>\n

With our students back in school and as we start to carefully and cautiously reopen the economy, I have started getting more and more questions about the vaccine rollout and when people might be able to get vaccinated.<\/p>\n

The vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel but as we\u2019ve all seen it seems to be a very long tunnel\u2014 Canada has faced some challenges getting vaccines.<\/p>\n

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The federal government is responsible for approving vaccines, providing scientific guidance on how vaccines can be handled and administered, ordering vaccines, and working with manufacturers to ensure Canada receives enough doses.<\/p>\n

Ontario is responsible for prioritizing which groups of citizens will be vaccinated first, distributing the vaccines and supplies received from the Federal government, and tracking the vaccine administration.<\/p>\n

Local Health Units are responsible for receiving vaccine shipments from the province, safely storing the doses, creating a plan for the local rollout, and distributing and administering the vaccine based on the Province\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n

The past two months have been an emotional rollercoaster for those of us looking forward to the vaccine. First in December we went up with the announcement of the approvals and as we saw the first vaccines administered.<\/p>\n

But that good news was tempered by restrictions on moving the Pfizer vaccine. Then in January Health Canada released protocols for moving the Pfizer vaccine safely which allowed Ontario to take the vaccine to long-term care facilities to vaccinate residents.<\/p>\n

In mid-January we learned that there would be delays in receiving the Pfizer vaccine. Then at the end of January we learned that Moderna shipments would be delayed.<\/p>\n

Ontario first announced our vaccine plan in December. Due to the unexpected reductions in supply of vaccines we adjusted the plan to ensure the most vulnerable, those in long-term care, received the vaccine as quickly as possible and that second doses were available for these individuals.<\/p>\n

Now, we have been told the Pfizer shipments are back on schedule. Given the expected increase in Ontario\u2019s vaccine supply the next target groups within the Phase 1 priority populations have been identified. They are:<\/p>\n