All must get their first dose
Enough Ontarians have received their first COVID shots that the province is accelerating second doses, and that brings us all closer to that happy day when life gets back to normal.
Everyone who wants the vaccine could have two shots by the end of August. That’s welcome news indeed. In fact, it’s such good news that Premier Doug Ford announced it himself on Friday.
“That’s right, friends,” he said, “Ontario is ready to deliver a two-dose summer.”
Since Ontario’s vaccine rollout has been “nothing but spectacular,” according to Ford, it’ll be a piece of cake for millions of Ontarians to move up their second dose appointments or, for those without a second date, to find one.
Ford says “every single person” he has talked to about getting a vaccine has said the process was “seamless.”
That, of course, will come as news to the countless family, friends and volunteers who have worked so hard to help elderly Ontarians and others in need of assistance find, book and get a shot. Not to mention everyone who got the AstraZeneca vaccine, most of whom are still in limbo.
Everyone over 80 (and their helpers) should act quickly to move up second dose appointments as soon as they’re eligible on Monday — before they’re swamped by those over
70 on June 14. And they in turn should be speedy about rebooking before ever larger and younger groups become eligible and start hunting around for shots.
It’s understandable that the province is keen to focus on the good news of an accelerated rollout. But it’s concerning that it doesn’t seem to have a plan to deal with the significant number of people who have yet to get their first shot.
Across the province those in the 50-59 age group have been eligible for nearly a month, and yet some 30 per cent of them still haven’t received a shot.
People who work in long-term-care homes have been eligible since December and have finally hit 88 per cent, but that’s still well below the rate of residents (97 per cent), and lower than it should be. When it comes to staff in retirement homes, nearly 30 per cent of them still don’t have their first shot
Vaccination rates in some neighbourhoods are far lower than in others — and that’s despite months of effort to boost rates in high priority areas. In Toronto, for example, the overall vaccination rate for adults is 67 per cent (for at least one dose). But that swings from as high as around 75 per cent in some areas to as low as 50 per cent in others.
Reaching all those people will take real effort and multiple approaches — from making it easier and more convenient to getting family doctors and trusted community members to spend time talking to those who have concerns.
But if people who are understandably eager for second doses scoop up the available appointments it will be that much harder to reach the more reluctant groups that still have no vaccine protection.
Pop-up clinics designed to target specific communities where first dose take-up has been slow have already reported so-called “vaccine vultures” circling and trying to nab an early second dose.
Now, throw in the updated recommendation by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization that second doses should be given as soon as possible and the inevitable confusion surrounding the Ford government’s announcement that second dose intervals may vary according to local considerations, and there’s sure to be more second-dose hunting. But the province completely dismissed these concerns. Once again, then, it’ll be up to local public health units and community organizations to patch up the problems in the province’s “spectacular” rollout.
If we want a two-dose summer we simply can’t afford to leave behind so many without a first dose.
Second vaccine doses are great — but too many still don’t have even one
Ontario is keen to focus on the good news of an accelerated vaccine rollout, but it doesn’t have a plan to deal with the significant number of people who have yet to get their first shot.