The imminent arrival of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has the region’s medical officer of health looking forward to the next challenge: logistics.
Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, said the excitement about the COVID-19 vaccines is “rightly so.”
“A source of hope for me is the vaccines that are coming,” said Gardner during a live update on Dec. 8. “It’s amazing we’ve been able to, in less than a year, produce what appear to be highly effective vaccines … I believe that will be a key intervention to bring this under control.”
The first vaccine approved by Health Canada is one by Pfizer. The vaccine must be refrigerated at -70 degrees Celsius until right before it is diluted and injected.
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre has a refrigeration unit to accomplish that task, but it makes the mobility of the vaccine more complicated.
“We, as a public health unit, are striving to be ready,” said Gardner.
Though Canada has ordered vaccines and Health Canada has approved Pfizer’s vaccine, the roll-out of the vaccination isn’t mapped out yet.
As for when the region will get its own supply, Gardner said there’s been no direct communication from the province or federal government on that front.
“The sooner, the better,” he said. “Although it would be a challenge for us to be ready to go, we’re making our plans now and we’re going to do some more hiring for it. But we would reallocate and respond no matter when it comes.”
The National Advisory Committee on Immunizations has recommended priority be given to vulnerable populations and the people who care for them as well as those living in Indigenous communities.
But the refrigeration requirement makes it difficult to transport the vaccine to a long-term care home for inoculation of the residents and staff.
“If I had my druthers, we’d be able to take it to the long-term care facilities and give it to the residents, but we need a better understanding of how readily we can do that with a vaccine that has these kinds of strict refrigeration requirements,” said Gardner. “We’ve got some real technical challenges … We would need to become versed in how to do all of that.”
Another vaccine, made by U.S.-based Moderna, is in its application phase with Health Canada, but has not yet been approved for delivery in Canada.
Even after logistics are worked out and a plan is made, it will take a while to achieve widespread vaccination.
“I know, by the numbers, it’s going to take the better part of a year to vaccinate everybody who needs to be vaccinated,” said Gardner.
For now, Gardner reminds everyone to keep their guard up and follow public health guidelines to curb the spread of the virus. That includes frequent hand washing, wearing face coverings, and limiting your close contact to only those in your household. Those who live alone can, said Gardner, join one other household for social and close contact.
