By Cecilia Nasmith
The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit has created a vaccine advisory committee with leadership from across the region, Northumberland Hills Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Linda Davis said at the February board meeting, and NHH is planning ahead too.
“They are looking at all the logistics, everything from how we get the vaccine from the parking lot to the freezer in the pharmacy to all the other steps. All the logistics have been planned – we we will provide it, who will administer it.”
The Vaccine Planning Steering Committee is an interdisciplinary team of physicians and staff, Davis said, expressing confidence that the hospital is ready to go with this effort.
“We just need the vaccine,” she said.
Davis was echoing the words of HKPR Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Gemmill, who saw to the administering of 700 doses last month to residents in 10 long-term-care homes. Another 1,000 doses is expected within days, which will also go to long-term-care residents.
“Even that won't quite reach all their residents, and we understand the next shipment is not due until Feb. 22.
“The first priority obviously has been long-term-care residents – then long-term-care staff and essential care givers, then health-care providers.”
Davis said the hospital has notified the health unit that they are prepared to support a vaccination clinic not only for staff, but also for the community.
They have obtained a freezer that can reach the -80 degrees C temperatures required for the Pfizer vaccine and will purchase an additional freezer for the Moderna vaccine (because the one they have on hand is too small).
They are also tackling another consideration.
With some 700 employees and 150 credentialed professional staff (physicians and midwives), a Vaccine Prioritization Subcommittee – also with representation from across the hospital, both clinical and nonclinical) – has drafted a prioritization matrix determining which staff and credentialed professional staff are eligible for Priority Group 1, with Priority Groups 2 and 3 also being set.
“While the ideal would be to receive enough vaccine to offer it to everyone immediately, ongoing supply challenges in Canada indicate that the vaccine will likely be delivered to us in stages,” Davis's report to the board stated.
