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Community Coordination Task Force for COVID-19 Vaccination

COVID-19 Vaccination

Find out about eligibility for first and second dose and book an appointment

Eligibility and booking

Task force meeting - July 8

  • Niagara Health reached a new milestone: 200,000 doses administered. Owing to the success of its new walk-in procedures at the Seymour Hannah clinic, going forward, any individual who is at least 12 years old will be able to walk-in at any time during the clinic’s operation.
  • In August and September, Public Health is moving into a new phase that is more focused on outreach and promotion for 18 to 30 year olds as demand for first doses declines
  • Quest Community Health Centre and Niagara Region Community Services shared the success of recent farm worker clinics in Niagara. Over 2,880 workers were immunized across a three-day clinic event held at the Seymour-Hannah Arena.
  • Representatives from Niagara College’s Student Administrative Council and the Brock University Student Union joined the task force to provide first-hand feedback on Niagara’s effort to vaccinate young adults so far, and offered advice and insight into how to better remove barriers for this group and encourage vaccination.

Previous meetings

  • June 17

    Provincial updates

    • Additional announcements about the acceleration of second dose appointments have occurred over the past two weeks.
    • On June 17, it was announced that:
      • As of June 21, all who received an mRNA vaccine on or before May 9 are eligible for shortened second dose appointments
      • As of June 23, all living in a Delta hot spot who received an mRNA vaccine on or before May 30 are eligible for a shortened second dose. Hamilton, Simcoe-Muskoka and Durham Region will be added as Delta hot spots.
      • Starting the week of June 28, all 18 years of age and older will be eligible to book shortened second doses, however scheduled a minimum of 28 days after first dose

    Sector updates

    • Public Health shared data and research from the Ontario Science Advisory Table and other publications about world rankings of countries with the highest percentage of their population vaccinated with one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine efficacy against the Delta variant, and statistics related to local population coverage
    • Niagara Health continues to work with community partners to plan for second dose appointments for priority populations, such as those living with developmental disabilities and farm workers, including migrant workers

    Other business

    • Homebound adults will be vaccinated using the Moderna vaccine in the coming weeks
    • Identifying opportunities future pop-up clinics was discussed. Members advised that commercial locations, rural areas with limited access to primary care and pharmacies, and youth-specific pop-up clinics should be considered as we enter Phase 3 of the vaccination rollout.
    • Members discussed sustainability planning which includes shifting from mass immunization clinics to pharmacies and primary care for vaccine access in future
  • June 3

    Provincial updates

    • On May 31, eligibility for accelerated second dose appointments starting with individuals aged 80 and over began
    • On June 1, it was announced that those who received a first dose of AstraZeneca may receive either AstraZeneca or an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) for their second dose

    Sector updates

    • Public Health is running a series of youth and family vaccination clinics beginning June 14 to encourage young people and their families to get vaccinated as soon as possible
    • Niagara Health is in the midst of administering second doses to eligible individuals

    Other business

    • Vaccinating homebound adults who cannot attend a vaccination clinic still remains a priority. Given the continued delay in deliveries of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the task force is pursuing alternate means of vaccinating this group, leveraging the connections and capacities within Niagara's primary care providers and pharmacies.
    • Addressing vaccine hesitancy remains top-of-mind for the task force. Members continue to work with their own populations to identify and address unique barriers to vaccination.
  • May 13

    Sector updates

    • Niagara continues to compare well with peer regions when it comes to vaccination rates
    • Public Health noted that while more groups will be able to book an appointment in late May, this does not guarantee those people will receive a vaccine in May. Projected vaccine supply means most of these individuals will receive a vaccine later in June.
    • Niagara Health administered its 100,000 dose of COVID-19 vaccine this week, and is continuing to adapt to the Province’s changing guidelines
    • Primary Care will be working with Public Health to discuss a targeted campaign to reach individuals and patients living in hotspot areas who may not have internet access, or who face language or cultural barriers to vaccination
    • Pharmacies expect to begin administering doses of Pfizer and Moderna in the coming weeks

    Strategies to vaccinate homebound patients and at-risk youth

    • The task force discussed the best path forward to vaccinate homebound adults who cannot attend a vaccination clinic. Public Health's preferred vaccine product for this group is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, due to its ease of transport compared with mRNA vaccines. Given the delay in Johnson & Johnson deliveries however, alternative methods of vaccinating this group will be explored.
    • Also discussed were strategies to vaccinate at-risk children aged 12-17. The Provincial booking portal currently does not allow bookings for those under age 18. Options for addressing this group will also be explored.
  • April 29

    Sector updates

    • The task force shared updates on the second round of Indigenous-specific clinics held the weekend of April 24-25. The community generously made vaccination appointments available to a select group of food manufacturing employees.
    • Nancy Garner and Adrienne Jugley shared updates from dedicated clinics for migrant workers and other farm workers on April 24-25. 3,019 migrant and farm workers from 171 farms in Niagara were vaccinated. This is in addition to the 315 migrant workers who had been vaccinated previously. The clinic was a collaborative effort between Niagara Health, Niagara Region Public Health and EMS, Community Services, Quest Community Health Centre and local Spanish-speaking family physicians and specialists.

    Making a dent in vaccine hesitancy

    • Regional staff continue to collaborate with Public Health and Niagara Health to address vaccine hesitancy in Niagara, with the help of task force members
  • April 22

    Provincial updates

    • April 19: Ontario expands eligibility for AstraZeneca to all adults age 40+ to offer the protection of the vaccine to more Ontarians earlier than anticipated
    • April 20: Additional pharmacies in hot spot communities of Toronto, Peel and York regions will begin offering the AstraZeneca vaccine 24/7 to individuals aged 40 and over. When the province begins to receive more vaccine supply from the federal government, it will expand 24/7 COVID-19 vaccinations to additional hot spot areas. Pharmacies may now also offer walk-in services.

    Sector updates

    • Public Health continues to run dedicated vaccination clinics for Niagara's Indigenous population
    • To date, Niagara Health has delivered over 77,000 vaccinations, and is planning for their 100,000 dose
    • The greatest challenge to our vaccine rollout remains a stable and reliable supply of vaccines. Public Health and Niagara Health are preparing for the possibility of having to cancel or scale back clinics in early May, if additional vaccine supply is not committed to Niagara.

    Making a dent in vaccine hesitancy

    • Regional staff have been collaborating with Public Health and Niagara Health to design a communications campaign to address vaccine hesitancy in Niagara, addressing both an immediate request from Niagara Health to relieve strain on our hospital system, and a longer-term need as vaccine eligibility expands in the coming months
    • Regional communications staff will be reaching out in the coming days to task force members to create short videos that address common vaccine hesitancy questions specific to the populations the task force members represent
    • Also planned is a media release and further social media collaboration with Public Health and Niagara Health
  • April 15

    Sector updates

    The task force received its regular updates from Public Health, Niagara Health, and the pharmacy sector, all of whom continue to expand their vaccination efforts. In particular, more Niagara pharmacies are now delivering vaccines, with 19 more being added for a total of 40 across Niagara. Pharmacies are averaging 50 vaccinations per day at each location.

    Niagara EMS has expanded its role in vaccinations redeploying staff from Niagara Health's Seymour-Hannah clinic to work with community service providers to vaccinate group home residents. EMS is also collaborating with primary care providers to identify more congregate settings for vaccinations, and will be assisting in developing a new mobile clinic strategy to focus on homebound patients.

    Making a dent in vaccine hesitancy

    Six cases of a rare form of blood clot were detected in more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered in the United States, causing a temporary pause in rollout. This, combined with continued hesitancy among the population for AstraZeneca, has created a need for proactive communication encouraging and reinforcing the safe use of these vaccines.

    Regional staff will bring a proposed communications campaign, focused on addressing vaccine hesitancy in Niagara, for the task force's review at its next meeting.

  • April 8

    At its April 8 meeting, the task force received updates on changes to vaccine eligibility, which have changed rapidly in the last several days and weeks, including:

    • March 22 - Expanded booking to 75 years and older
    • March 26 - Announced Toronto would move to 70 years and older the following day
    • March 28 - Announced 11 additional Public Health Unit areas to move to 70 years and older the following day
    • March 30 - National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that AstraZeneca should not be used in adults under 55 years of age pending further investigation
    • April 6 - Official announcement of being in Phase 2
    • April 7 - 60 years and older opened on provincial booking system

    Within the provincial updates, we have seen the province move very quickly through the age cohorts. This happened much faster than previously indicated within provincial timelines. These rapid changes show the importance of Niagara remaining nimble and responsive in our vaccine rollout plans.

    Public Health also provided some clarity regarding the Province’s recent announcement of prioritized vaccines for certain postal code-based hotspots throughout the province, including one in Niagara Falls.

    The task force also highlighted the positive work of come of our community partners. These included the first dedicated clinic day for a priority population in Niagara - a clinic serving with the developmental sector at Niagara Health’s Seymour-Hannah clinic - as well as a vaccination pilot program for migrant farm workers in Niagara.

    Since last week, the decision to vaccinate child care and education workers has gathered some significant media attention, and has been a catalyst for more discussion about the value in prioritizing education workers. Being the first public health area in the province to prioritize teachers has led Niagara to be seen as a leader and ahead of the curve.

    The further prioritization of more essential workers for vaccination as part of Phase 2 of the provincial framework was identified as a further area of focus at the task force’s weekly meetings in April.

  • March 18

    The National Advisory Committee on Immunization announced that it has revised its recommendations for the AstraZeneca vaccine so that it can be used for Canadians 65 and older in the midst of some controversy in Europe surrounding its safety concerning blood clots. This came days after Ontario used the earlier guidelines to target distribution of the shot to people aged 60-64 years old, reaffirming the importance of being nimble in our immunization effort.

    Variables outside of our control have the ability to dramatically change the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations in Niagara with little notice.

    Ontario also continues to compete with the variants of concern. The Ontario Science Table and the Ontario Hospital Association have declared a 'third wave', fuelled by the variants. Right now, the new variants seem to be slightly ahead of our immunizations.

    While this should not sway our intense focus on ensuring our local vaccination strategy is efficient and equitable, it does remind us that we should seize any and all opportunities to re-enforce those key public health messages across our sectors.

  • Feb. 25

    The task force reviewed and endorsed Niagara Region Public Health’s proposed principles for decision-making related to the sub-prioritization of priority populations in Niagara. These principles are:

    • Vaccinate those with the greatest risk of severe illness or death first to save lives
    • Vaccinate those with frequent, extended and close contact with those at the greatest risk of severe illness or death to stop transmission to those most at risk of death
    • Vaccinate those where local evidence shows a greater risk of infection to stop transmission into the community, including to those at risk of death

    The task force also recommended several changes to Public Health's list of highest priority populations for vaccination in Niagara. Members agreed to include migrant agricultural workers, police and pharmacies in the highest priority category.

    Niagara Health provided an update on the expansion of vaccinations for more health care workers at its Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre clinic. Lessons learned around the complexity of staffing and logistics will inform Public Health's future community-based immunization clinics.

  • Feb. 11

    At its second meeting, the task force received updates on vaccination activities completed by Niagara Health and Niagara Region Public Health to date.

    The group also reviewed and provided input into Public Health's operational plan for mass immunization, and discussed ways to ensure Niagara's vulnerable populations are properly prioritized in the vaccination plan.

  • Jan. 28

    At its first meeting, chaired by Dr. Dec, members of the task force:

    • Introduced themselves and their organizations to the group
    • Received an update on vaccination planning and rollout so far from Niagara Region's Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji
    • Adopted a terms of reference that will guide their work going forward
    • Resolved to meet every two weeks with the next meeting scheduled for Feb. 11

Role of the task force

The Community Coordination Task Force for COVID-19 Vaccination has formed as part of the local pandemic response and recovery efforts to ensure the secure, efficient and equitable delivery of the local COVID-19 immunization strategy.

The task force will perform the following key advisory roles:

  • Champion and provide strategic guidance into the local immunization strategy, drawing on organizational and sector expertise
  • Offer support to the identification and prioritization of local populations within the phased provincial Vaccine Distribution Implementation Plan
  • Provide advice into the communications and engagement plan for health care providers, priority populations and the general public
  • Receive status updates on vaccination progress, achievements and key milestones, and share information with other sector-specific organizations and community partners
  • Liaise and report regularly to Regional Council as the Board of Health

Task force members

  • Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley
  • Dr. David Dec
  • Dr. Karl Stobbe, Medical Director, REACH Niagara
  • Adrienne Jugley, Commissioner, Community Services, Niagara Region
  • Nancy Garner, Executive Director, Quest Community Health Centre
  • Brian Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Bethesda
  • Lucie Huot, Executive Director, CERF Niagara
  • Martina Rosza, Vice President, Home and Community Care, Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant Local Health Integration Network
  • Lynn Guerriero, President and Interim CEO, Niagara Health
  • Kathleen LaForme, Diabetes Wellness Coordinator, Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle
  • Jennifer Dockstader, Executive Director, Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre
  • Jim Boutilier, Fire Chief, City of Niagara Falls
  • Martha Mason, Executive Director, Fort Erie Multicultural Centre
  • Sean Simpson, President, Pharmacists Association of Niagara
  • Chief Bryan MacCulloch, Niagara Regional Police Service
  • Frank Ruberto, Executive Director, Niagara Medical Group Family Health Team
  • Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Acting Medical Officer of Health, Niagara Region
  • Regional Councillor Barbara Greenwood, Co-Chair, Public Health and Social Services Committee
  • Chief Kevin Smith, Niagara Emergency Medical Services
  • Tom Kuchyt, CAO, Town of Fort Erie
  • Mike Kirkopoulos, CAO, Town of Lincoln
  • Shelley Chemnitz, CAO, St. Catharines
  • Ron Tripp, Acting CAO, Niagara Region
  • Natalie Early, Director, Corporate Strategy and Innovation
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