By Cecilia Nasmith

The excellent record of immunizations in regional long-term-care homes provided a positive start to the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit vaccination strategy, according to a report at March board of health meeting.

A report by Managers of Health Promotion Lorna McCleary and Marianne Rock set out a list of the region's long-term-care homes and the percentage (as of Feb. 17) of those who had received at least one shot. Among Northumberland facilities, percentages ranged from 73.1% at Hope Street Terrace to 100% at Warkworth Place and Brighton's Maplewood facility. All those in between had percentages in the 90s, including Extendicare Cobourg (96.7%), Extendicare Port Hope (94%), Golden Plough Lodge (92.6%), Landmark Assisted Living (94.4%), Regency Manor (94%), Streamway Villa (94%) and Tower of Port Hope (95.5%).

The report characterized the flow of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines as “steady but small” and listed their partners in immunization as hospitals, primary-care physicians, pharmacists and municipalities (in lining up venues for mass-vaccination clinics).

At the estimated rate of 5,000 doses per week, they are following provincial guidelines for eligibility as they administer first doses through the end of June and proceed to second doses over the summer.

The plan for April through July is to prioritize older adults (aged 65 to 79), people who live and work in high-risk congregate settings (and caregivers for their residents), essential front-line workers who cannot work from home, individuals with high-risk chronic conditions, essential caregivers and communities at greatest risk.