The Ontario government is distributing the Pfizer vaccine to 17 more hospital locations including ones in COVID hotspot regions over the next two weeks.
This is part of Ontario’s three-phase vaccine implementation plan that began with the vaccination of health care workers on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 at Toronto’s University Health Network and The Ottawa Hospital.
“Following a successful pilot, we are excited to continue onto the next stage of our rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines to Ontarians,” said Christine Elliott, Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “While we are planning to ensure that everyone who wants a vaccine will receive one, we need to first protect our frontline workers and those providing essential care to our most vulnerable.”
The province is expected to receive up to 90,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses from the federal government before the end of the year that will be sent to the following hospital sites as well as Toronto’s UHN and The Ottawa Hospital:
- Windsor Regional Hospital
- London Health Sciences Centre
- Grand River Hospital
- Halton Healthcare
- Hamilton Health Sciences
- William Osler Health System
- Trillium Health Partners
- Southlake Regional Health Centre
- Mackenzie Health
- Humber River Hospital
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- Michael Garron Hospital
- Unity Health Toronto
- Scarborough Health Network
- Lakeridge Health
- Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre
- Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
All the sites have the equipment necessary to store the Pfizer vaccine at -70 degrees and staff needed to receive and administer the vaccines. Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences was selected to test the travel logisitcs to Northern Ontario and support vaccine administration to indigenous and remote communities.
So far, Toronto’s UHN and The Ottawa Hospital have administered over 2,300 doses and aim to administer doses to 2,500 more health care workers in hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other congregate settings caring for seniors.
As Phase One continues, Ontario will monitor delivery logistics, reconstitution of the vaccine, clinic management, and post-vaccine surveillance to help prepare for larger vaccine quantities. Ontario is also expected to receive doses of the Moderna vaccine once approved by Health Canada and expand hospital locations further in early 2021.
There has been no word when vaccines will be available in the Niagara Region however with the region moving to the red tier Monday, it will likely move up the region in the province’s priority list.