THUNDER BAY - While more people are now able to get the COVID-19 vaccine after the province lowered the age to 75 this week, issues with supply and booking appointments is leaving many frustrated and disappointed.
Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro said in a statement issued on Wednesday that his office has received numerous calls from residents experiencing difficulties booking a vaccine appointment with the province’s online portal, as well as a lack of vaccine availability in the district.
Mauro raised concerns with the Minister of Health’s office earlier this month on why the city is not designated as a COVID-19 hotspot and why it was not included in the pilot project to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine in pharmacies to those between the ages of 60 and 64.
“I was not given a clear answer relative to the issue of Thunder Bay not being included on the Hot Spot list,” Mauro said. “I was, however, given clear assurance that Thunder Bay would be receiving additional vaccine, over and above our per capita allotment, because of the number of COVID-19 cases in the City.”
Dr. Janet DeMille, medical officer of health with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, said she has also heard concerns from residents regarding booking vaccine appointments online.
“There’s definitely challenges with the provincial system,” she said. “We are trying to navigate that. We have opened up some appointments and we do realize many people are having trouble. This has been ongoing since the booking system has been launched and I know it’s posing some significant challenges for members of our community who want to access.”
Vaccine supply is another hurdle facing the local health unit. DeMille said the district receives between 3,000 and 5,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine per week. The Moderna vaccine supply is less and comes every two weeks.
“We have more capacity to deliver vaccines than we are getting in supply,” she said. “We have to navigate that. There are a lot of organizations that are capable of delivering and willing and wanting to deliver and we have to deny them those opportunities or reduce the number of vaccines and that is disappointing.”
This week, more than 6,000 doses will be administered across the district and DeMille said the health unit is looking into adding more clinics and she hopes supply will remain consistent and increase.
Early in the pandemic, Mauro also reached out to General Hillier, head of the province’s vaccine task force, Premier Doug Ford, and Minister of Health Christine Elliot to request special consideration for the city based on a variety of health issues that are disproportionately prevalent in the region.
“There are still many questions that I and many Thunder Bay citizens have regarding our supply of the vaccine from the province,” Mauro said. “We need assurances that the unique needs of our City and Region are being addressed by the province. I also believe the citizens of Thunder Bay deserve a clear and concise answer on why Thunder Bay was not placed on Ontario’s list of hotspots.”