On January 20, Halton Regional Council passed a resolution calling upon the Federal Government to accelerate the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to support the needs and expectations of Canadians, and residents of Halton region.
“We have a responsibility to stand up for our residents and do everything we can to keep them safe,” said Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr. “Our Public Health team and many partners have been working so hard to get these life-saving vaccines to our most vulnerable populations. There is tremendous planning that happens behind the scenes and without the ongoing, predictable supply of vaccines, their plans are forced to change and the risk of severe illness or death rises. I cannot thank our Health Department enough for all they are doing, even in the midst of daily changes, to vaccinate those who need it most.”
Starting in mid-January, Halton Region Public Health and Halton Region Paramedic Services began vaccination for residents and staff at long-term care and retirement homes, aligned with the Province’s vaccine implementation plan (external link), using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. These mobile teams have been working 7 days a week to transport vaccines from the hospital to each home and complete first dose vaccinations for these priority groups, contingent on supply.
“This news is another significant change, requiring us to pivot our plans on short notice,” said Halton Region Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Hamidah Meghani. “While these changes are a challenge, this has not stopped our efforts to get the vaccine to our most vulnerable. We are continuing with our current supply and working with our partners to get the first dose to all long-term care home residents by the end of this week, conditional of supply. I would like to thank our Paramedic Services team and hospital partners for their ongoing commitment and dedication to this effort.”
The resolution also requests that both Federal and Provincial governments clearly and consistently communicate to the public on priority populations eligible for vaccination and the timing of delivery for each priority population and the general public.
The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is an inter-governmental effort with clear roles and responsibilities.
- The Federal Government is responsible for procuring and distributing all approved COVID-19 vaccines to the provinces and territories.
- The Provincial Government is responsible for determining where the doses will go, who will receive them and when. The details of the Province’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Implementation Plan, including their plans to receive, store and distribute the vaccine can be found on their COVID-19 vaccines for Ontario website (external link).
- Halton Region Public Health works closely with partners to administer the vaccine as quickly and equitably as possible to priority populations. Current priority populations are residents, staff and essential caregivers of long-term care and high-risk retirement homes.
To get the latest on the status on Halton Region’s COVID-19 Vaccine Program, information on vaccine safety and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit Halton’s COVID-19 Vaccine webpage. This page is updated as the situation evolves, and residents are asked to check this page regularly for the latest updates.
The Regional Municipality of Halton serves 580,000 residents in the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville. Halton Region is committed to meeting the needs of its residents through the delivery of cost-effective, quality programs and services, including water and wastewater; Regional roads and planning; paramedic services; waste management; public health; social assistance; children’s and seniors’ services; housing services; heritage programs; emergency management and economic development. For more information, call 311 or visit Halton Region’s website at halton.ca.