The Medical Officer of Health for Hastings Prince Edward says the local vaccine rollout has been slower than in some parts of the province and an announced cutback in doses being delivered here won’t help that.
Dr. Piotr Oglaza says the province has decided to redirect 25% of doses earmarked for our area, to more high-risk areas of Ontario.
He tells Quinte News, while the speed of the rollout depends heavily on the amount of doses we get, our area is already behind schedule compared to other parts of the province, even with a large amount of vulnerable, older residents.
“Among the population of 65 to 69 years old for example, 83% of them have not yet received the first dose and that’s something that’s really important to emphasize. We have a vulnerable population, we have individuals with known recognized risk factors for a severe outcome of COVID, age being that significant factor.”
Oglaza says he recognizes the need to focus on hot spots, but tells Quinte News he’s trying to raise concerns to provincial leaders about the importance of continuing to get doses out in this area, as fast as possible.
“We are unique in the province in terms of our risk factors. The individuals who are older, the number of people that are at increased risk of severe COVID and other statistics and parameters that describe our region, and many individuals in our region, as being of poorer health than the provincial average.”
He added that it’s unclear at this point if any currently scheduled appointments will have to be changed or cancelled, but says notifications would go out to anyone affected, if that’s the case.
For now, a handful of local pharmacies are still administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to eligible residents aged 55 and older, with Oglaza recommending people still try to get on those waiting lists in the meantime.
HPE Public Health did release a press release on the cutback with more information, which you can read by clicking here.