OWEN SOUND, ONT. -- It’s expected, that a senior at an Owen Sound Long Term Care home will be Grey-Bruce’s first recipient of a Covid-19 vaccination tomorrow.
“The amount is small. Around 200 doses, so it’s a modest amount. Nonetheless, we will provide it to the people that most need it. It’s going to be the first step in many,” says Grey-Bruce’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Ian Arra.
In Huron-Perth, long term care staff have been driving to London for vaccinations since late December. And, as of today, health unit staff are picking up vaccines from London and driving them directly to Huron-Perth long term care homes, to immediately vaccinate residents.
“Over the next month or so, we’re anticipating 2,000 to 3,000 doses, so that we should be able to cover all our long term care home residents, staff, and essential caregivers,” says Dr. Miriam Klassen, Huron-Perth’s Medical Officer of Health.
While there is excitement about the arrival of vaccines, there is a twinge of disappointment in Grey-Bruce. Dr. Arra had pitched the region as a test site for a mass vaccination, to try and quickly reach 75 per cent of residents. The province decided against the pilot project, sending approximately 1,000 doses to Grey-Bruce by month’s end.
“Over the weekend, the directive was clear to focus on long term care, only,” says Dr. Arra.
The goal province wide is to vaccinate all long term care home residents, staff, and essential caregivers by mid-February, before moving to other front line health care and essential workers.
“We’re excited to put the final nail in the coffin of this pandemic,” says Dr. Arra.
