A Niagara MPP thinks the region should have been included in the government's most recent vaccine trials at pharmacies and doctors' officers.
St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens asked Premier Doug Ford today why Niagara was excluded from vaccine pilots for pharmacies and family physicians, despite having one of the oldest populations in the province.
“We can’t turn back time, but when you diverted 5,500 Moderna doses of life-saving vaccines from Niagara we were in the middle of a crisis where we had one death every three and a half hours over the span of a week. We can’t change the past, but you can consider Niagara now,” said Stevens during question period Thursday at the Ontario legislature.
“Yesterday, Niagara was not included in either the family physician or the pharmacy pilot for vaccinations. Niagara has one of the highest percentages of variance COVID-19 cases in the province. To be excluded, yet again, is a disgrace,” said Stevens. “Will the premier immediately include Niagara in these pilot projects and treat Niagara fairly in its vaccination roll out?,” Stevens asked.
On Wednesday, Stevens’s office reached out to local family physician clinics and pharmacies to ask them if given the chance to be in the vaccination pilots do they have capacity to get vaccines into the arms of seniors in Niagara.
Their response was simple: a resounding yes, Stevens told MPPs in the legislature.
“The Niagara North Family Health Team was able to administer over 800 flu shots a day with capacity to do even more. Premier, they are just waiting on you. With over 370 deaths in Niagara from COVID-19 and a diverted shipment of Moderna, we know the cost of a slow roll out to the Niagara senior population,” said Stevens. “When will this government make the people of Niagara a priority and give the green light to our pharmacists and family physicians to administer vaccines?”
You can watch the video by clicking here.
Health Minister Christine Elliott responded by saying Niagara has always been treated fairly and will continue to be treated fairly, with respect to all things related to COVID, saying allocations to Niagara have been monitored carefully.
" Niagara did and continues to receive vaccines above its population base share of vaccines. So they are absolutely being treated fairly."
Elliott says Niagara is considered to be a hot spot and will be receiving additional allocations of vaccines.
Niagara's Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji backs up Elliott's comments that Niagara is not far behind other communities.
In a call with media members on Monday, Dr. Hirji shared a graph showing the region was on track with other areas.
However, he says the large amount of seniors in LTC homes, and retirement homes in the area makes it appear that the region is lagging behind.
On Monday Niagara residents 80+ will be able to call the Ontario vaccine portal to make an appointment for a vaccine. The phone number has not yet been released.