York Region to begin vaccinating 80+ seniors on March 1, ahead of province's schedule

An existing online appointment booking system will support the early launch until March 15, when the province’s more sophisticated online and telephone booking system will be available

Newmarkettoday.ca
Feb. 26, 2021

York Region is pushing ahead to begin vaccinating seniors aged 80 and over beginning March 1, ahead of the March 15 launch announced by the province.

Retired Gen. Rick Hillier, chair of the provincial COVID-19 vaccine distribution task force, has approved the earlier rollout of the vaccine here, York Region medical officer of health Dr. Karim Kurji told regional council today.

“We feel we are ready to move forward as of March 1,” Kurji said. “We need to push ahead as rapidly as possibly with this group.”

The vaccines will be available to residents aged 80 and over by appointments booked online only. Telephone booking will not be available.

Specific details for the booking of appointments have yet to be finalized, and will be provided as soon as they become available.

Existing online booking systems will be used until March 15, when Hillier said  the province’s more sophisticated online and telephone booking system will be ready.

“It’s not going to be perfect,” Kurji cautioned of the region’s temporary online booking system,  “...until March 15, when we can transition over to a more robust system.”

He is asking for patience from residents until the provincial system launches.

“This is the price that we pay in order to start our immunization program rolling out for the over 80 age group ... March 1. If we don’t do this, I’m concerned that we will not be affording them the best protection that we can afford them, and the vaccines will just be lying in the freezers. We don’t want any vaccines to be lying in the freezers.”

In total, about 18,000 to 20,000 doses are currently available, he said.  

The “big ask” is that family and friends assist seniors, if required, to make the online bookings when they become available.

He added that family or friends who accompany seniors to the immunization clinics to assist them will not be eligible to also receive vaccines if they are not in the phase one priority group.

“I know it’s not efficient but vaccines are in short supply and we must prioritize those most at risk,” Kurji said.

Appointments will be available for Newmarket’s vaccination centre at Ray Twinney Recreation Complex, which is operated by Southlake Regional Health Centre.

Appointments will also be available at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.

Each hospital operates its own booking system, Kurji said.

It will likely take about five weeks to provide the vaccines to residents aged 80 and over.

There are approximately 23,000 residents aged 80 to 84 and 22,000 residents aged 85 and older, which includes those living in long-term care and retirement facilities who would be vaccinated already.

Newmarket John Taylor urged that the plans of the early rollout be communicated widely to residents in multiple ways, adding that he is being overwhelmed by emails from Newmarket residents with “vaccine anxiety”.

“To them it’s life or death that they get their loved one in today.

“I think it’s incredibly important for the trust of the public going forward that this is rolled out in a way that is -- and is seen to be -- transparent, equitable and orderly,” he said.  

It’s critical residents are aware vaccines will only be provided by appointments and to manage expectations regarding the waitlist, he added.

The supply of vaccines is now steady, and Kurji expects it to increase in the weeks ahead.

In total, 9,360 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are currently being delivered weekly to the hospitals in Newmarket and Vaughan, which will each take a turn as of March 1 providing Markham Stouffville Hospital with half of their supplies for a vaccination clinic opening for seniors at Cornell Community Centre.

York Region public health, which receives supplies of the Moderna vaccine from the province, won’t have enough supply until March 15 to open its clinics, Kurji said. Among the clinic locations planned are Richmond Green in Richmond Hill, Maple Community Centre, Georgina Ice Palace, and Canada’s Wonderland.

There is currently no confirmation of the amount of Moderna vaccines the unit will be receiving, Kurji said.