Skip to main content Skip to Navigation Skip to Footer

COVID-19 Vaccine Bulletin - February 25, 2021

Volume 5 – Issued February 25, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccine Bulletin

The Porcupine Health Unit is adapting COVID-19 vaccine plans in collaboration with several community partners to align with provincial guidance, local community needs, and vaccine availability. COVID-19 Vaccine Bulletins will be posted regularly on the Porcupine Health Unit website which include updates on vaccine rollout across the district as well as government announcements.

Planning

The Porcupine Health Unit continues to work with various community partners and First Nations communities to plan, distribute and administer COVID-19 vaccines across the district.  

The Porcupine Health Unit

  • Mass immunization clinic plans have been developed and continue to be refined in preparation for when large supplies of vaccines become available.
  • Partnerships with healthcare providers is ongoing in order to ensure mobile vaccine teams are ready to assist with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccination plans once increased vaccine shipments arrive.
  • In addition to working with health system partners to increase COVID-19 vaccination capacity, recruitment of staff and volunteers at the health unit continues to be necessary to increase capacity to meet the anticipated needs as vaccine supplies increase. Visit Employment (porcupinehu.on.ca) to learn about opportunities to become involved or call 1-800-461-1818.
  • Second doses of COVID-19 vaccine for long-term care homes and high-risk retirement homes have started.
  • Second doses of COVID-19 vaccine for First Nations elder care residents will be completed in the coming days.
  • The health unit continues to support Operation Remote Immunity as needed.
  • COVID-19 immunization has commenced for the following populations in Phase One:
    • Staff and essential caregivers in long-term care homes, high-risk retirement homes
    • Highest priority (“patient-facing”) healthcare workers in the highest risk settings (e.g., emergency department, intensive care units, COVID-19 medical floor, medical first responders, etc.)
    • Indigenous adults 55 years and older living in Reserve Communities

Vaccine Rollout

On February 19, 2021 the Government of Ontario announced that over half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across the province. The province, as well as the Porcupine Health Unit, remain in Phase One of vaccine administration. However, the province as well as all local public health units are preparing for increased vaccine supplies and boosting capacity to ensure that vaccination efforts will support the pending increase in vaccine supplies.

Phase One of Ontario’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan involves two parts. The first part involves COVID-19 vaccination of:

  • Long-term care homes, high-risk retirement homes and First Nations Elder Care staff and essential caregivers, and any residents of these settings that have not yet received a first dose.
  • Alternative level of care patients in hospitals who have a confirmed admission to a long-term care home, retirement home or other congregate care home for seniors.
  • “Patient-facing healthcare workers” (i.e. healthcare workers in direct and sustained contact with patients in high-risk settings) in accordance with the updated Ministry of Health’s Guidance for Prioritizing Health Care Workers for COVID-19 Vaccination, starting with the “highest priority” group as defined by the Ministry.
  • Indigenous adults in northern remote and higher risk communities (including on-reserve and urban communities).

The second part of Phase One will begin after groups in the first part have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and will include these populations:

  • Adults 80 years of age and older
  • Staff, residents and caregivers in retirement homes and other congregate care settings for seniors (e.g. assisted living)
  • Healthcare workers in accordance with the “high priority” group as defined in the updated Ministry of Health’s Guidance for Prioritizing Health Care Workers for COVID-19 Vaccination
  • All Indigenous adults
  • Adult recipients of chronic home care

Phase Two of Ontario’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan is expected to begin in April 2021. The Government of Ontario, the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force and local public health units continue to enhance plans in preparation for mass vaccination clinics that will be required during this phase of the immunization rollout plan. Currently, the province of Ontario has capacity to immunize approximately 40,000 people per day and efforts to increase this capacity in order to triple or quadruple that capacity in preparation for anticipated increases in vaccine supply from the federal government.

Phase Two population groups will be sequenced based on vaccine availability, ethical principles, and local context. Target populations identified by the provincial government for Phase Two have been revised, and include:

  • older adults, beginning with those 79 years of age and decreasing in five-year increments
  • Individuals who work in high-risk congregate settings (e.g., shelters, community living)
  • frontline essential workers (including first responders, education workers and the food processing industry)
  • individuals with high-risk chronic conditions and their caregivers
  • other populations and communities facing barriers related to the determinants of health across Ontario who are at greater COVID-19 risk

Operation Remote Immunity is ongoing to immunize adults in remote First Nations communities and Moosonee with the goal of completing first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of April 2021. Through Operation Remote Immunity, there is close to 70 percent of Ontario’s northern First Nations community members vaccinated with a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Planning efforts for vaccine distribution and administration to urban indigenous populations as well as other First Nations communities continue through ongoing engagement of the First Nations and Urban Indigenous Vaccine Distribution Sub-Tables.

The province of Ontario is developing an online booking system as well as a customer service desk to support scheduling appointments for the mass immunization clinics. As announced by General Rick Hillier (retired), Chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force, on February 24, 2021, this booking system and service desk will be available beginning on March 15, 2021. This booking system will identify vaccine clinics closest to where individuals are in the province. The province will be sending flyers to households to inform them of when it is their turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As well, during this update, the following target vaccination dates were announced which are subject to vaccine availability from the federal government:

  • The third week of March: Adults 80 years of age an older
  • April 15: Adults 75 years of age and older
  • May 1: Adults 70 years of age and older and likely begin vaccination of some essential workers (sequencing details to be announced at a later date)
  • June 1: Adults 65 years of age and older
  • July 1: Adults 60 years of age and older

COVID-19 vaccination for the general public is still expected to start in the summer of 2021. This timeline remains dependent on vaccine availability and the ability to vaccinate all vulnerable populations before this time.

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced that Canada will be receiving 2.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine between March 8 and April 12 and 23 million vaccines by the end of June.

Vaccine Safety, Development, and Approval

Health Canada will only approve vaccines after an objective and thorough scientific review to ensure safety, effectiveness, and quality of the vaccine. All safety standards have been met for approval of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. Pre-market scientific review has established that the vaccines can protect against COVID-19, the benefits outweigh the risks, and that there are no safety concerns. A plan is also required in this stage to diminish any possible risks as well as monitor for adverse events. 

While the vaccine development has been accelerated, all routine steps have been followed, and safety standards have not been compromised. Vaccines typically take years to be developed and approved, however, development of COVID-19 vaccines has progressed quickly as a result of:

  • A reduction in time delays for vaccine approval between each phase of development
  • Use and adaptation of existing mRNA and viral-vector based technology research
  • International collaborations
  • Increase in funding availability
  • Reduced recruitment time of clinical trial participants
  • Prompt organization of clinical trials

As with all vaccines, post-market surveillance will occur. There will be ongoing monitoring of vaccine safety and effectiveness through partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada, along with the collaboration of healthcare providers, provincial and territorial public health authorities, the vaccine manufacturer, international regulators, and the public.

This short video explains the stages of vaccine development: COVID-19: How vaccines are developed (video) - Canada.ca.

Resources

The Porcupine Health Unit wants to keep you informed about COVID-19 vaccines. Our website now includes a COVID-19 Vaccine page with more information on approved vaccines, vaccine safety and other general information.

Our COVID-19 phone lines remain open. Call us with any COVID-19 related questions you have at 1-800-461-1818.

Moving Forward

COVID-19 remains a serious threat to the wellbeing, health and lives of individuals in all communities. This is especially true with the emergence of COVID-19 variants across the province, including northern Ontario, which are more easily spread from person to person.  Please continue to support and protect each other. Continue practicing strict public health measures and strongly consider being immunized once you can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Additional Information: