First COVID-19 vaccine dose completed for KFL&A retirement home residents
On Thursday, Mar. 25, 2021, KFL&A Public Health, along with community partners, completed administering first doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 653 residents at 12 retirement homes in KFL&A.
“With over 50,000 vaccinations administered in the region, we are all proud to have helped to protect KFL&A’s most vulnerable adults from COVID-19,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Medical Officer of Health at KFL&A Public Health. “This is a big step towards preventing and controlling COVID-19 in the community. We want to thank all the staff at these homes for all of their support in planning, assisting, and implementing these vaccination clinics.”
This comes after all willing residents of long-term care facilities received vaccinations in Phase 1 of Ontario’s vaccine distribution plan, resulting in 96 per cent of all those in long-term care receiving their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
With the support of community partners, KFL&A Public Health is continuing to provide first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to populations in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Ontario’s 3-phased distribution plan using several types of clinics, including: hospital based clinic at Kingston Health Sciences Centre, mass immunization clinics at INVISTA and Strathcona Paper Centre; targeted priority group clinics at Kingston Community Health Centre and mobile on-site clinics, and through pharmacies and primary care offices, according to a release from Public Health, dated Monday, Mar. 29, 2021.
Today, the provincial online vaccine booking tool opened to eligible adults 70 years of age and older (born 1951 or earlier.) Visit www.ontario.ca/bookvaccine to book online, or if individuals require assistance or have questions about vaccines they can call 1-888-999-6488 daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Any eligible KFL&A residents that do not have a health card, email address or phone number may call 343-477-0172 for local assistance. For those 60 years of age and older, the following pharmacies in KFL&A are participating in the vaccine roll out.
For the most up to date information on vaccines and COVID-19, visit KFL&A Public Health website.
Too bad ALL Retirement Homes weren’t covered. I know Kingsdale Chateau was not one of the twelve. In fact, their pharmacist tried to obtain the vaccine and was denied.
My 95-year-old mother got her shot at the Invista Centre, when she discovered last week that it was “every one for themselves”.
Sad times for this community.
HUGE thank you to KFL&A Health for sending a contingent of healthcare workers to inoculate all those at this retirement home who had not been able to access the clinics on their own! My mom just reported that this was done Thursday morning, April 8, and stated her relief at knowing the residence is “covered”.
Kudos to all involved!