THUNDER BAY – COVID-19 vaccinations of residents at long-term care facilities in Thunder Bay has begun.
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit, in partnership with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, on Friday announced they’ve been given the go-ahead to administer doses of the Pfizer vaccines off-site at long-term care homes.
Until now it could only be given out locally at the hospital.
“Making the vaccine available to our community is our focus and priority,” said Dr. Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott, president and CEO at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, in a joint release issued by the health unit and hospital.
“The shift to providing vaccines at long-term care homes is a complex and collaborative process between partners who share a common goal of vaccinating as many people, as soon as possible. I am proud that, to date, we have administered over 1,100 doses in our community.”
Staff at long-term care facilities were among the first to be vaccinated in Northwestern Ontario, following an outbreak at Southbridge Roseview nursing home which has led to the deaths of 21 residents of the north-side facility.
The ability to bring vaccines to where the community’s most vulnerable is a big step forward said TBDHU medical officer of health Dr. Janet DeMille.
“This is an exciting time. With the vaccine here in our area and the ability to move it around, we are entering a new phase in our battle against this virus,” DeMille said.
“Protecting long-term care homes is a very important first priority. This is another encouraging milestone in our COVID-19 response.”
The news comes hours after it was announced there will be a delay in shipment of the Pfizer vaccine to Canada, the company saying it is temporarily pausing some of its production lines at its production facility in Belgium.
This next phase of delivery will focus on Thunder Bay homes, but planning is underway to deliver the vaccine to long-term care facilities outside of the city into district communities, and expand the rollout into other vulnerable settings, including retirement homes and other congregate homes housing seniors.
The goal is to have all residents, staff and essential caregivers at long-term care facilities vaccinated by mid-February.
The health unit is actively working on a broader roll-out for the entire district, including First Nations communities.
