A total of 404 doses of COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to date across Chatham-Kent.
CK Public provided the details on the ‘current situation’ page of their website on Thursday, February 4, 2021.
This vaccine update is expected to be published by CK Public every Thursday by 10:30 a.m.
“We are happy to share that we have added a new section to our daily status report,” public health officials said on social media.
“Starting in today’s report at 10:30 a.m., we will publish the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across Chatham-Kent. For the time being, this data will be updated once a week on the Thursday report and will evolve to include more information as it becomes available to us.”
CK Public Health officials say the data includes information extracted from COVax (Ontario’s information and reporting system for COVID-19 immunizations) for doses administered in Chatham-Kent up to the most recent week.
Public health officials added that Chatham-Kent is currently in Phase 1 of Ontario’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program, with a focus on the following population groups:
– Residents, essential caregivers, and staff of congregate care settings for seniors
– Health care workers
– Adults in Indigenous populations
– Adult recipients of chronic home health care
Dr. April Rietdyk, general manager of community human services in Chatham-Kent, said on Monday, February 1, 2021, the COVID-19 Vaccine Team is ready and waiting to administer the second batch of vaccine.
However, the question remains about exactly when Chatham-Kent will receive this second shipment from the Province.
“We were expecting vaccine early this week,” Dr. Rietdyk said during the virtual Chatham-Kent Council meeting on Monday.
“It has been delayed… yet again. I don’t have a definitive date of that next allotment. What I can confirm for Council is the moment that we notified that we will be in receipt of vaccine, we will be ready to move immediately… because we are anticipating a 24-hour notice this time of vaccine arriving in Chatham-Kent. We will then move forward and complete our long-term care homes and then move to our high risk retirement homes. Then we have to await notification from the Province of what that next group of of individuals to be immunized.”
Read our full story, with more comments from Dr. Rietdyk, here.
More details about the COVID-19 vaccine are available at: https://ckphu.com/covid-19-vaccine/
Ontario alters vaccine goals
Provincial officials said in a press release issued on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 that ongoing vaccine delays and reduced shipments have forced the Ontario government to update its goal of completing the administration of first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to residents in each long-term care, high-risk retirement and First Nations elder care home to February 10.
Provincial officials say amidst these delays, vaccination teams will be distributing vaccines in First Nations fly-in communities in the north as part of Operation Remote Immunity, beginning this week.
“While it’s disappointing that vaccine supplies are being delayed, General Hillier and his team are doing a fantastic job of getting vaccines into the arms of our seniors and those who care for them, and now to remote First Nations communities” stated Premier Ford in a press release.
“It’s clear we need to start production of COVID vaccines here in Canada, and I will continue pushing for that to begin as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we are continuing to build our capacity so when we receive enough supply for mass vaccinations, we will be ready.”
Last week, Ontario developed a plan to accelerate vaccination of the most vulnerable populations across Ontario with the goal of visiting each long-term care, high-risk retirement, and First Nations elder care home in the province to administer first doses by February 5, 2021, pending this week’s delivery dates, Provincial officials say.
Since that time, the federal government has confirmed Ontario’s allocation of the Moderna vaccine will be significantly reduced by 18,200 doses, to 63,400 doses.
With the reduced shipment anticipated to be received late this week, doses will be delivered to public health units across Ontario to ensure residents of these homes are offered their first dose by February 10, 2021.
The decrease in supply of the Moderna vaccine is in addition to further reductions in Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shipments from the federal government, which resulted in no deliveries for the week of January 25, 2021, and a reduced shipment of just over 26,000 doses for the first week of February, Provincial officials say.
The province’s initial approach was to offer vaccination to all residents, staff and essential caregivers working at long-term care and high-risk retirement homes to provide the opportunity for best overall protection.
In response to the reduction in vaccine supply, the province prioritized the vaccination of residents of long-term care, high-risk retirement and First Nations elder care homes.
The province is expecting approximately 310,000 doses to be delivered in the remaining weeks of February.
Once sufficient doses are available, vaccinations will resume to provide first doses for staff and essential caregivers in settings with the most vulnerable populations.
“Despite limited supplies from the federal government, our government has taken decisive action to provide protection to our most vulnerable seniors as quickly as possible,” stated Minister Elliott in a media release.
“Until everyone can receive the vaccine, it remains critical that Ontarians stay home and continue to follow public health measures to stop the spread and save lives.”
The province also continues to protect access to second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for those who have already received their first dose.
“Our government’s vaccine distribution plan continues to focus on getting the vaccine to those who need it most,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones in a press release.
“Despite the supply challenges, we are forging ahead with our plan to protect Ontarians, starting with our most vulnerable populations which includes remote First Nations communities.”
Provincial officials say as of February 1 at 8 p.m., over 344,000 vaccine doses have been administered across the province, including over 91,000 doses administered to long-term care staff and retirement home staff, over 138,000 doses administered to health care workers and over 90,000 doses administered to long-term care and retirement home residents.
New support to produce COVID-19 vaccines and treatments in Canada
Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced on Tuesday, that the Canadian government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Novavax to pursue the production of its COVID-19 vaccine at the National Research Council of Canada’s Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Montréal.
The Prime Minister also announced investments to support vaccine, therapeutic, and biomanufacturing projects in Canada.
These include:
– Up to $25.1 million to Precision NanoSystems Incorporated (PNI), a Vancouver-based biotechnology company, to expand our ability to produce ribonucleic acid vaccines and future genetic medicines in Canada. PNI will build a $50.2 million biomanufacturing centre to produce vaccines and therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of diseases such as infectious diseases, rare diseases, cancer and other areas of unmet need.
– Up to $14 million to Edesa Biotech Inc. (Edesa), a biopharmaceutical company based in Markham, Ontario, to advance work on a monoclonal antibody therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is the leading cause of COVID-19 deaths. Edesa’s $18.7 million project has received Health Canada approval to conduct its phase 2 clinical trials, and has begun administering its treatment to clinical trial participants in Canada.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, our top priority has been the health and safety of all Canadians,” the Prime Minister said in a press release.
“Today, we are investing in our biomanufacturing capacity so that we have the made-in-Canada vaccines and treatments we need to protect Canadians, now and in the future, and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.”
François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said the Canadian government is bringing back the vaccine manufacturing capacity that Canadians expect and need.
“These investments will help to ensure that Canada has modern, flexible vaccine manufacturing capabilities now and in the future,” Champagne said in a media release.
“With the investments announced today, our government is helping Canadian companies advance made-in-Canada vaccines and therapies, while securing domestic manufacturing options for international vaccine candidates. This is all part of our government’s commitment to protect the health and safety of all Canadians today, and in the future.”
Federal officials say Canada has already approved vaccines to prevent COVID-19, which are being distributed across the country.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved by Health Canada on December 9, 2020, and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine was approved on December 23, 2020.
Federal officials say the memorandum of understanding with Novavax enables the government to pursue options to produce the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine at the National Research Council’s Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Montréal, once both the vaccine candidate and the facility receive Health Canada approvals.
Novavax recently initiated the rolling submission process for regulatory approval to Health Canada, Federal officials added.
The Government of Canada currently has an agreement with Novavax to purchase up to 76-million doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine candidate, officials say.
