The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has received the first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
"The shipment is small and is allotted to residents of long-term care, as prioritized in phase one of the province of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination program," says a Health Unit release.
The Health Unit has been in contact with long-term care homes to start the immunization process.
"It is anticipated to have all long-term care home residents and eldercare residents of First Nations communities immunized by the provincial deadline of February 5," it says.
Once the Health Unit receives additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine priority will be given to:
- staff, essential caregivers (including family caregivers) and other employees in long-term care settings;
- residents, staff, essential caregivers (including family caregivers) and other employees in retirement homes and congregate living settings for seniors;
- health care workers, including hospital employees, staff who work or study in hospitals and health care personnel;
- adults in First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations;
- adult recipients of chronic home health care.
The Health Unit will continue to update the district on the status of the COVID-19 vaccine as information becomes available, including when the public can call for appointment booking.
Meanwhile, the Timiskaming Health Unit also got its first delivery of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine today and will be collaborating with long-term care facilities in order to support vaccination clinics.
“The trucked rolled in this morning to deliver our district’s first vaccine doses,” said Dr. Glenn Corneil, Acting Medical Officer of Health for the Timiskaming Health Unit. “We are excited to begin getting vaccines into arms so that we can protect our most vulnerable.”
The Timiskaming Health Unit is also immunizing residents of all long-term care homes across the district to meet the provincial expectation that residents receive their first dose by February 5.
“It is impressive that we have received our doses on the one-year anniversary of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Canada,” said Dr. Corneil. “Health Canada conducted an expedited, or rolling, approval process for the vaccine that made it possible for Canadians to receive vaccines quickly, while at the same time taking no shortcuts in vaccine approval.”
Also, Public Health Sudbury & Districts said today that the much-anticipated vaccination program for residents of long-term care and high-risk retirement homes will begin this week.
PHSD is expecting to receive shipments of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine over the next two weeks in quantities sufficient to immunize all residents of these facilities in its service area by Feb. 5.
