Some of the region’s most senior adults will be getting vaccinated against COVID-19 today in Collingwood, Barrie, Alliston, and Huntsville.
By the end of the week, there will be 13 community vaccine clinics open for appointments across the Simcoe-Muskoka region.
Dr. Charles Gardner said today is another historic one for the region’s COVID story.
“We are greatly expanding the base for immunization from one clinic to 13,” said Gardner.
The expansion will help the region be ready to administer doses en masse, once the vaccine supply is readily available.
“Immunizations have been a critical contributor already to our fight against COVID-19,” said Gardner. “We’ve had some absolutely tragic long-term care outbreaks… now that we’ve immunized all of those facilities, our outbreaks are very small. That speaks to the power and importance of immunization.”
Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman commended the health unit on launching its own booking system ahead of the provincial launch on March 15.
“You didn’t wait to protect residents,” said Lehman. “And I think that’s important to recognize.”
The celebration was dampened by the growing controversy (including opposition from Mayor Lehman and Collingwood Mayor Brian Saunderson) over the lockdown order in place for the region today.
“This occasion is not about that, but I did want to acknowledge it,” said Gardner, noting he will be in daily contact with Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. David Williams and regular contact with regional mayors.
“We will work through this issue like the others we’ve had to work through together to overcome this pandemic.”
The region started administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Dec. 22 at a clinic on Sperling Drive in Barrie to staff from hospitals and long-term care facilities. On Jan. 11, it moved the vaccines into long-term care homes with mobile clinics to start vaccinating residents.
Currently, the community clinics are open by appointment only for seniors aged 85 and up and Indigenous adults aged 55 and older.
Appointments between March 1 and 9 are fully booked, but there is a wait list.
Mary Ann Holmes, the acting vice president of community service and immunization for Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, is strongly encouraging seniors aged 85 years and older and Indigenous adults aged 55 years or older to join the wait list via the health unit’s online booking system or by calling 1-877-721-7520.
“The subgroups are much larger than the vaccine we have available,” noted Holmes, explaining why there were no more available appointments. “When we have appointments, we will go to the wait list first to fill them… we get (vaccine) allocations from the province on a weekly basis.”
She said the clinics are ready to “ramp-up” as soon as vaccine supply allows.
Though the staff capacity is available for more, the Sperling Drive clinic is operating at reduced hours this week, the result of a limited vaccine supply, according to the health unit.
“The limiting step is vaccine,” said Dr. Gardner. “When we have more vaccine, we will be able to fully employ our sites, including the one at Sperling Drive.”
He added that what supply the health unit has, needed to be shared among all the clinics.
The health unit has released a 103-page vaccination plan containing information for those operating clinics as well as details on the region’s population and how the province’s prioritization will be applied.
According to the plan, there are approximately 78,450 residents of Simcoe County and Muskoka District who are part of the province’s phase one priorities for the vaccination. That includes long-term care and retirement home staff, residents and essential caregivers, health care workers, Indigenous adults, residents and staff of other congregate care settings, adults receiving chronic home care, and adults over the age of 80.
To start, the health unit has opened the community clinic appointment waitlists to adults over 85 years old, which includes about half (13,700) of the 29,700 adults over 80 living in the region.
The health unit estimates there are about 248,300 Simcoe-Muskoka residents within the second priority phase (essential workers, adults between 60 and 80 years old, and staff other than health care workers as well as residents at other congregate settings.
In the final phase, which opens up to the rest of the population aged 15 and up, the health unit estimates about 180,500 residents.
The health unit notes it’s possible there is some overlap in the population estimates.
Community clinics are located across the region as follows:
- South Georgian Bay
- Collingwood Legion (drive-thru)
- Wasaga Beach Rexplex Community Centre (drive-thru)
- Barrie and area
- 29 Sperling Drive, Barrie
- Holly Recreation Centre, Barrie
- Innisfil Recreation Complex
- Couchiching Area
- Rotary Place, Orillia
- North Simcoe
- North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre, Midland
- Penetanguishene Arena
- South Simcoe
- Alliston Memorial Arena
- Tottenham Community Centre
- Bob Fallis Arena, Bradford
- Muskoka Region
- Active Living Centre, Huntsville
- Bracebridge Sportsplex
