Ford calls out York Region for expanding vaccine appointments to more health care workers

680News.com
March 18, 2021
Michael Ranger

Premier Doug Ford is taking aim at York Region, questioning the health units move to start administering COVID-19 vaccinations to frontline workers when some seniors over 80 still haven’t received the shot.

The region began vaccinating those in the 80 and above age group at the beginning of the month and they are now expanding COVID-19 vaccinations to include eligible frontline health care workers, like massage therapists and naturopaths.

“Just get the 80-year-old plus done and then we’ll move to the next stage,” says Ford. “I’ll talk to the public health officer out in York and ask him what the rationale is.”

The move by York follows the provincial guidelines when it comes to who they can vaccinate.

Ontario has a three-phase plan that prioritizes vaccines for those at greatest risk of severe illness and those who care for them.

York Region’s public health officer, Dr. Karim Kurji, says they’ve already vaccinated more than 60 per cent of those 80 and above and are now able to open appointments to more people.

“The Phase 1 of the province’s plan, does actually stipulate that the health-care workers be immunized,” says Kurji. “We have been moving through, from the highest, very high, and now into the high priority health-care workers.”

Durham Region officials confirmed they are also at the same stage as York Region.

On Tuesday, Ford also expressed frustration with health officials expanding the recommended use of the AstraZeneca shot to adults over the age of 65.

“I can’t begin to tell you the logistics behind it. It just messes everything up, to be frank with you,” said a visibly irritated Ford. “We had everything set up, everything lined up, and then all of a sudden without notice today now we can move the goal post again.”

Ford said roughly 143,000 Ontarians aged 80 and older booked their COVID-19 vaccine appointments through the province’s booking portal on Monday despite some technical issues and long wait times to get through to the call centre.