Halton Healthcare is preparing to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
On Friday, December 18th, the Province of Ontario announced that Halton Healthcare is among 17 new hospital vaccine delivery sites. The doses will be administered to health care workers in high-risk settings first, such as long-term care homes and hospitals, followed by the other priority populations Ontario has identified.
Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr released a statement, saying it’s great news.
“This is an important step in our collective response to stopping the spread of COVID-19. Since March, health care workers have been on the frontline of this fight, making significant sacrifices in their own lives to help others. I am in support of the Province’s plan to make sure that these heroes are front of the line for the first doses of this monumental vaccine. I would also like to thank the staff at Halton Healthcare and Halton Region Public Health for their all of their efforts in planning this first phase.”
Halton Region Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hamidah Meghani echoes Carr’s statement, adding that the pandemic isn’t over yet.
“While this is a new light at the end of the tunnel, we cannot let our guards down. No matter where you live, please continue to stay home as much possible, only go out for essential reasons and do not gather with anyone who does not live with you – indoors or outdoors. These are early days for this vaccine, and we have a long road ahead to achieving herd immunity and understanding how it protects others. Thank you to everyone for continuing to follow public health direction and supporting one another.”
According to the Government of Ontario’s website, it expects to receive “90,000 approximately 88,000 doses” of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from the federal government in Phase 1B. That is based on per capita allocations. Those numbers will be split across the 17 hospitals in this next wave.
For information and emerging details on vaccine distribution timelines, priority regions and populations, click here. To learn more about COVID-19 vaccine, including safety, click here.
