Update on Primary Care Support for
COVID-19 Vaccination
Dear colleagues,
Happy new year! Since our initial reach out December 18th, 2020, things have moved very quickly and very slowly at the same time. We wanted to give you some updates on the current status of COVID-19 vaccination efforts in our region.
As you may know, the Pfizer vaccine was distributed to 17 hospital sites across Ontario. Due to logistical necessity and immediate urgency, our local hospital sites engaged their staff on-site to help vaccinate HCW and essential caregivers from LTC facilities. With the approval and arrival of the Moderna vaccine, we have been working closely with Public Health to establish a partnership to help continue Phase 1 vaccinations.
Earlier this week on Jan 5, the Province released its plans to accelerate COVID-19 vaccinations for LTC homes in the priority regions of Toronto, Peel, York, and Windsor-Essex by January 21, 2021. Thanks to all 240+ of you for stepping forward early on, we were ready to schedule family physicians to go into 6 LTC/RHs in Mississauga in a very short time. This effort will vaccinate over 1,000 LTC/RH residents and staff by Monday afternoon.
If you did not get contacted or scheduled for this first round, know that there will be more opportunities to come. We are committed to a fair and equitable process to allow as many people to participate as we can. Pfizer vaccine shipments will start coming weekly and more Moderna shipments are on the way as well. Active discussions are underway involving primary care leaders on how a mass community vaccination strategy will look, so know that we are advocating strongly for the primary care sector.
One area where there is still an active need for physicians is to work temporarily in LTC/RH to support care during outbreaks. For more information, please see the appeal linked below:
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Once again, thank you for showing what an organized and connected primary care sector can do. We appreciate each and every one of you.
Kind regards,
Sohal Goyal
Chair, Mississauga Halton Primary Care Network, Co-Lead Primary Care COVID Response, Mississauga OHT
James Pencharz
Co-Lead Primary Care COVID Response, Mississauga OHT
David Daien
Co-Chair Primary Care Council, Ontario Health Central Region
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