{"id":914,"date":"2021-10-11T10:43:04","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T14:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914"},"modified":"2021-10-11T12:32:56","modified_gmt":"2021-10-11T16:32:56","slug":"provincial-vaccination-high-of-92-per-cent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914","title":{"rendered":"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my continuing efforts to include news from Canada and other countries, here is an interesting article from the Toronto Star<\/em>, a daily newspaper with also a large online following. It relates in detail how Canadians have successfully gotten people vaccinated. Apparently, Canada has many of the same problems as the United States getting people in rural areas vaccinated and convincing everyone to get the “jab.” Still, I can’t see this level of cooperation here given our politicization of the pandemic. The results speak for themselves. Gobble, gobble to all the Canadians on their day of Thanksgiving!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HERE’S HOW THIS EASTERN ONTARIO HEALTH UNIT HIT A PROVINCIAL VACCINATION RATE OF 92 PER CENT<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Kristin Rushowy, Queen’s Park Bureau<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mon Oct 11 07:00:00 EDT 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When COVID-19<\/a> vaccination clinics first opened in and around Brockville, volunteers phoned their neighbours to urge them to get a jab with the leftover doses at the end of the day, so none went to waste. At one site, someone out walking a dog nearby was called over to come on in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nurses at clinics would fill syringes with the vaccine, handing them over to paramedics who would then disperse to help the housebound, and clinics were set up in social housing complexes. In the summer, the unit followed the crowds and held a clinic at the Brockville Ontario Speedway during a racing event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A local Giant Tiger opened up its warehouse so that employees and community members could be inoculated, and pharmacies in tiny towns \u2014 with populations of 3,000 or so \u2014 vaccinated many rural residents. Hockey rinks served as clinics before teams returned to the ice this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took a community to vault this eastern Ontario public health unit to the top of the double-dose vaccination chart, exceeding its own 90 per cent goal on Sept. 27 \u2014 just a few weeks after school started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit remains the leader in Ontario, with 92 per cent of eligible residents fully vaccinated, and 97 per cent having received one dose. The payoff? Just 23 active cases, according in the unit\u2019s latest numbers, in a population of 170,000 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The achievement has earned kudos from Health Minister Christine Elliott as well as Ontario\u2019s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore. Moore has repeatedly said the entire province needs to get to 90 per cent <\/a>to keep COVID-19 in check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the next closest unit is in Thunder Bay, where 86 per cent of residents are double-dosed. Toronto sits at about 81 per cent. The lowest rate, at 78 per cent, is found in a handful of areas including Chatham-Kent and Hamilton. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have always worked well together in partnership with our community, and I think that was the case for us to come together early on, and see how we are going to provide vaccines to our community so they can protect themselves, and protect others,\u201d said Dr. Paula Stewart, medical officer of health for Leeds, Grenville and Lanark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unit covers a large geographic area \u2014 some 6,329 square kilometres \u2014 and initially had fixed sites in Brockville, Smiths Falls, Almonte and Kemptville. Three were run by hospitals, and all with the help of doctors and community teams who sometimes saw 600 to 900 people a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Stewart said public health realized it had to do more and began offering mobile clinics, with 11 municipalities jumping on board hosting four or five each, bringing in volunteers to screen patients before public health administered the shots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was just an incredible effort,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cWe had 40 pharmacies spread around Leeds, Grenville and Lanark so smaller communities with 3,000 to 5,000 people had a pharmacy in their community they could go to. Our media was phenomenal about supporting us \u2026 there was a buzz about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If \u201csomeone said we think this is a good place to go\u201d to offer vaccines, she added, \u201cas long as it was going to be safe for our staff, we would.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With many rural areas \u2014 Brockville, with a population of about 21,000, is the largest municipality in the area \u2014 \u201cthe vaccine clinics in the small towns were fabulous,\u201d Stewart added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the end, people would call their neighbours and say, \u2018We\u2019ve got extra vaccine. You\u2019ve got to come and get the vaccine.\u2019 \u2026 The community entirely embraced this as \u2018This is an important thing to do.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The collective sense, she added, \u201cwas this was the right thing to be doing both personally, for my friends and family, and for others \u2014 to be part of something which is important, and the community continues to embrace it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Oct. 4, the unit recorded 96.6 per cent residents with one dose, and 91.3 per cent with two, and it continues to see numbers go up. The results? Low COVID case counts, and few outbreaks outside of family members and close contacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTouch wood,\u201d Steward added, \u201cbut it\u2019s making a difference.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge now is to appeal to the 18-to-29 age group, with mobile teams continuing to work with municipalities and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve adjusted (strategies) based on what we are hearing from the community,\u201d she added. \u201cIn September, we adjusted to going out where the people are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some units across the province continue to struggle with vaccine hesitancy, something Stewart said Leeds, Grenville and Lanark has also seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are definitely some people who are concerned \u2014 we hear about it through Facebook and we hear about it\u201d via email, but public health answers all queries. Nurses at clinics will also address concerns if people want to drop in with questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stewart said the unit is now particularly seeing a lot of reluctance among pregnant women, so she has spoken publicly about how important it is for them to be protected, and has reached out to obstetricians and family doctors to \u201cgive them key points they can use \u2026 We\u2019ve basically been trying to meet people where they are, give them information and support them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark, who represents Leeds\u2014Grenville\u2014Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, said he is proud of the local health unit\u2019s success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It \u201ccontinues to have the highest first and second dose vaccination rate in Ontario. Through a strong partnership between the province and our public health officials, Leeds, Grenville and Lanark is leading the way, demonstrating people\u2019s willingness to be vaccinated and our health care system\u2019s ability to administer those vaccines efficiently,\u201d he said in a statement to the Star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOntario\u2019s last mile strategy is working.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larger urban areas currently sit at around 80 per cent fully vaccinated, including Durham Region at 84 per cent, York Region at 82 per cent, Peel at 81 per cent and Toronto at 81.6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halton, which has fully vaccinated 86 per cent of its eligible population ages 12 and up, said in a statement that it worked \u201cquickly and collaboratively with our local hospitals to ensure a successful multi-site vaccination rollout last spring. We worked hard to implement changes with new direction coming from the province and changes in supply of vaccine in the first half of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It credited the smooth, quick rollout of an online booking system as \u201cone of our major successes \u2026 This booking system was for all of our community clinics, including the two hospital clinics. Residents found this to be accessible and user friendly\u201d and the unit also ensured that seniors were able to access clinics, including offering free transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lambton\u2019s health unit, with one of the lowest vaccination rates, said it too faces vaccine hesitancy, but \u201cour hospitalization rate continues to fall at or below the provincial rate and these are the numbers we are most concerned about in the fourth wave. Overall, these are very good numbers from a population perspective, but we can do better, and we continue to plan to improve our coverage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It said its \u201clarge rural population, and rural Canadians are more likely to report vaccine hesitancy. In order to investigate further, Lambton Public Health has partnered with Ipsos to conduct a local survey<\/a>which will provide some insight into vaccine hesitant populations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding to questions about its vaccine rates, Toronto Public Health said it has a \u201cunique context \u2026 (it) is the largest local public health unit in Canada, with over three million people in 140 neighbourhoods. Given the higher population relative to the rest of the province and other local jurisdictions, there are greater number of people who require vaccination, which can also further amplify challenges such as misinformation, vaccine hesitancy and barriers to vaccination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public health \u201chas been hearing from community partners who are connecting with residents, about why people are hesitant or unable to get vaccinated. For example, we have heard that access to vaccinations has been a barrier. Some residents are having difficulty finding time in the day to get vaccinated,\u201d it said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026 Others, such as seniors, may be having trouble getting to places where vaccinations are taking place or face technical barriers to book an appointment. Some express concerns about language barriers for navigating the vaccination process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some 4.5 million doses have been given in the city, it added. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In my continuing efforts to include news from Canada and other countries, here is an interesting article from the Toronto Star, a daily newspaper with also a large online following. It relates in detail how Canadians have successfully gotten people vaccinated. Apparently, Canada has many of the same problems as the United States getting people…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-by-robert-fischer"],"yoast_head":"\nCovid Vaccination Success in Canada - Potlatch<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada - Potlatch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In my continuing efforts to include news from Canada and other countries, here is an interesting article from the Toronto Star, a daily newspaper with also a large online following. It relates in detail how Canadians have successfully gotten people vaccinated. Apparently, Canada has many of the same problems as the United States getting people...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Potlatch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-10-11T14:43:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-10-11T16:32:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"George Shafer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"George Shafer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?p=914#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?p=914\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"George Shafer\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/aa4c9c1bec1eefbee281c7b4f91d91b0\"},\"headline\":\"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-11T14:43:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-11T16:32:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?p=914\"},\"wordCount\":1515,\"commentCount\":0,\"articleSection\":[\"by Robert Fischer\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?p=914#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?p=914\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?p=914\",\"name\":\"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada - Potlatch\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-11T14:43:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-11T16:32:56+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/aa4c9c1bec1eefbee281c7b4f91d91b0\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?p=914#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?p=914\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?p=914#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Potlatch\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/aa4c9c1bec1eefbee281c7b4f91d91b0\",\"name\":\"George Shafer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/504c3f3f28fae38b2412b60d480e2acaf009ec80be15447e5fb39173ef16b03c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/504c3f3f28fae38b2412b60d480e2acaf009ec80be15447e5fb39173ef16b03c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/504c3f3f28fae38b2412b60d480e2acaf009ec80be15447e5fb39173ef16b03c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"George Shafer\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/potlatchga.com\\\/?author=6\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada - Potlatch","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada - Potlatch","og_description":"In my continuing efforts to include news from Canada and other countries, here is an interesting article from the Toronto Star, a daily newspaper with also a large online following. It relates in detail how Canadians have successfully gotten people vaccinated. Apparently, Canada has many of the same problems as the United States getting people...","og_url":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914","og_site_name":"Potlatch","article_published_time":"2021-10-11T14:43:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-10-11T16:32:56+00:00","author":"George Shafer","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"George Shafer","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914"},"author":{"name":"George Shafer","@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa4c9c1bec1eefbee281c7b4f91d91b0"},"headline":"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada","datePublished":"2021-10-11T14:43:04+00:00","dateModified":"2021-10-11T16:32:56+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914"},"wordCount":1515,"commentCount":0,"articleSection":["by Robert Fischer"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914","url":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914","name":"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada - Potlatch","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-10-11T14:43:04+00:00","dateModified":"2021-10-11T16:32:56+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa4c9c1bec1eefbee281c7b4f91d91b0"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?p=914#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Covid Vaccination Success in Canada"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/","name":"Potlatch","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/#\/schema\/person\/aa4c9c1bec1eefbee281c7b4f91d91b0","name":"George Shafer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/504c3f3f28fae38b2412b60d480e2acaf009ec80be15447e5fb39173ef16b03c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/504c3f3f28fae38b2412b60d480e2acaf009ec80be15447e5fb39173ef16b03c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/504c3f3f28fae38b2412b60d480e2acaf009ec80be15447e5fb39173ef16b03c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"George Shafer"},"url":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/?author=6"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=914"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":918,"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914\/revisions\/918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/potlatchga.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}