Paramedics helping to roll out COVID-19 vaccine

Hastings Quinte paramedics are taking an active part in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine.

On Wednesday a virtual meeting of the Hastings Quinte Emergency Measures Services committee heard a report on that rollout.

Chief of Paramedic Services Doug Socha told the committee they are involved in both the deployment of vaccine as well as the administration.

They’re embedded with public health as part of that immunization response team.

Right now Kingston  Health Sciences Centre is the lead hospital for the Pfyzer vaccine to be stored.

He added, “We’re really trying to anticipate when more vaccine will be arriving. Everyone’s anxious to try and get this vaccine out as quickly as possible but we’re really just limited to the amount of vaccine that is arriving. As soon as it arrives we’re rapidly deploying it.”

“We’re also helping with public health in the planning stages for mass immunization and what that looks like.”

“There’s a draft plan that’s put together by public health, including a number of different partners. So certainly a lot of effort going forward trying to get the vaccine here as well as establishing plans to distribute it once arrives.”

Committee member Quinte West Councillor Terry Cassidy asked a question regarding the Pfizer vaccine which can have six doses instead of five. He hoped that could be “upgraded with no loss or waste of the vaccine.”
Socha replied, “Our number one goal is no wasted doses, depending on the type of syringe, depending on how much fluid is in the vial for an opportunity to get a an extra dose.  Public health is working to find the needles with the ability to do that. We’re trying to acquire syringes that draw up every last dose.”

Socha adds that the paramedic team is also helping public health in the planning stages for future mass immunization and there’s a draft plan in place for that.