Delsie Cumming was among the first residents at Rainycrest Long Term care to receive the first dose of Moderna vaccine, Jan. 27, 2021. Photo courtesy Riverside Health Care Facilities.
The Northwestern Health Unit is on track to vaccinate all long-term care residents against COVID-19 by February 10.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon says 100 per cent of doses received have gone to long-term care homes across the region.
“This is over 300 shots, and currently, 68 per cent of long-term care home residents have now received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccine,” says Dr. Young Hoon.
The health unit received that shipment last week. Vaccinations are continuing this week to ensure the remaining residents receive their first shots.
Dr. Young Hoon adds they only have vaccines for long-term care residents and residents and staff of Elder Care homes on First Nation communities right now.
Dr. Young Hoon notes all vaccines are allocated by the province.
“After this week and next week, it will be uncertain what future vaccine allocations we’ll be getting. That information does seem to change regularly, and I think that’s because the vaccine supply is not necessarily stable at this point.”
The province has extended its deadline for vaccinating all long-term care residents to February 10 because of delays in vaccine delivery.
With the shots given so far, the health unit says some people have suffered mild symptoms such as mild pain or tenderness around the area where the vaccine was administered and feeling unwell.
Dr. Young Hoon says those are generally mild symptoms that get resolved relatively quickly.
A vaccine process is in place if people develop symptoms after getting the vaccine that could be related to the vaccine itself.
Dr. Young Hoon explains its something followed with all new vaccines.
Information about symptoms goes through the individual’s health care provider, to the health unit, then to the province and nationally, to monitor the safety of new vaccines.
In the remote north, ORNGE has started Operation Remote Immunity, providing the Moderna vaccine to residents aged 18 and over in remote fly-in communities.
This week, the vaccination teams will be visiting Fort Severn, Muskrat Dam, Neskantaga, Slate Falls, Kashechewan, and Webequie.
Operation Remote Immunity aims to complete its work by the end of April.
