The Tilbury Times

Tag: COVID 19 vaccine

  • Halton Region Opens COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments to children 5-11 years of age

    By: Laura Steiner
    The Region of Halton has opened COVID-19 vaccine appointments to children between the ages of 5-11 beginning tomorrow.  The two doses will be given eight weeks apart.
    “The vaccine has been through rigorous and independent scientific reviews and the evidence shows that the vaccine is very safe and highly effective in preventing COVID-19 among this age group,” Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hamidah Meghani said of the approval.  Appointments can made through the Region’s booking website.  Health Canada approved the use of Pfizer on November 19, 2021.
    The Region has established three child-friendly vaccine clinics in Burlington (3450 Harvester Rd), Oakville (240 Wyecroft Rd, and Milton (180 Market Drive).  They’re working on establishing one in Halton Hills.
    They’ve kicked off a “Halton Heroes” campaign that feature family-friendly resources to help parents prepare for vaccination. “As your Medical Officer of health and a mother of a young child, I am very excited for this moment and look forward to seeing our Halton Heroes roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated,” Meghani said. The children’s vaccines will also be available through pharmacies, paediatric and primary care  factors.  For more information please visit their website.
    The Region of Halton recorded an increase of 64 cases of COVID-19 today.  17 of which have come from Milton.  There is only a single outbreak in a congregate living setting.  86% of Halton residents have had two doses of the vaccine.

  • Kingston approves COVID-19 vaccination policy for staff and council members

    By: Zoha Khalid, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, YGK News
    After a lengthy discussion on a COVID-19 vaccination policy on Tuesday night, Kingston City Council moved in favour of a vote to implement the policy. All staff and council members have to declare their vaccination status by Jan. 3, 2022.
    If the staff fail to show proof of vaccination, they will not be terminated or put on unpaid leave as other institutions have done in the past.
    Staff who would not show their proof of vaccination will have to attend training sessions to get necessary education about the benefits and importance of vaccination. Additionally, those who are not vaccinated by the stated date would have to undergo the rapid antigen test at this point every week but would not lose their jobs because of that.
    The council members recognize that education and awareness are the core to deal with any matter. However, the severity of the COVID-19 virus has compelled everyone to take measures that ensure the most safety for everyone.
    The motion moved by Councillor Simon Chapelle and seconded by Councillor Ryan Boehme stated to amend the policy and address including council members and city staff in the same approach.
    “My concern is that it has a dangerous precedent of mixing staff and council in one motion. A particular topic, specifically my concern, is a council. I don’t believe that we should be mixing staff and councilors,” Councilor Chapelle said.
    Councilor Boehme said, “it is important that we keep our individuality as state elected officials.”
    In response to the Councilors’ remarks, Councilor Stroud, opposing the motion, said that “council members should lead by example.
    Lanie Hurdle, Chief Administrative Officer at City of Kingston, explained that the vaccination policy is unique in the sense that it is not just an administrative policy for the city employees. Otherwise, it would not have come forward to the council. Because it includes everyone, the decision thus requires attention from members of the council.
    After a long debate over the matter, the motion was denied, with nine out of 13 votes favoring the policy, including staff and council members alike.
    As of October, around 90 percent of city workers are fully vaccinated.

  • Ontario English Catholic Teachers Demand Safe Schools

    By Saeed Akhtar, Local Journalism Initiative
    The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) has launched Safe Schools Now, a new campaign calling on the Ford government to invest in and implement safety measures recommended by the Ontario Science Table.
    “Despite having more than 18 months to develop a plan to address COVID-19 in our schools and make the investments necessary for a safe learning environment, the Ford government has refused to act, threatening in-person learning,” says OECTA President Barb Dobrowolski.  They are also calling for the implementation of recommendations from the Ontario Science Table and SickKids hospital.
    The Financial $12 billion in cuts forecast over the next decade according to the Financial Accountability Office (FAO).
    The group is asking for the following recommendations:

    • a mandatory vaccination program in schools;
    • mandatory masking for all teachers, education workers, students, and visitors in schools;
    • smaller class sizes to allow for proper physical distancing;
    • improved ventilation, with public air quality measurements and transparency, so we know if safety standards in schools are being met;
    • COVID-19 outbreak management, including robust testing and tracing;
    • investments to address student learning loss and mental health concerns; and
    • improved vaccination education, outreach, and accessibility.

    “Catholic teachers are inviting all educators, parents, and Ontarians to join us in calling on this government to act and invest in a safe and sustainable school year,” Dobrowolski said.
    To learn more about the campaign visit the Safe Schools website.
     

  • NACI recommends a3rd dose of vaccine for some immunocompromised people

    Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends a third dose for some immunocompromised individuals, while health authorities are still urging the rest of the population to receive both doses.
    In a update published Friday, NACI strongly recommends giving three doses of messenger RNA vaccine to  moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals in the permitted age groups.
    This could include, for example, people who have had an organ transplant, undergoing cancer treatments, or some HIV patients.
    At the same time, Dr. Teresa Tam, Chief Executive Officer of the Public Health Agency of Canada, is once again calling on Canadians who have not done so to get vaccinated.
    In a press briefing on Friday, she pointed out that although 85% of the eligible population has received a first dose and 78% of people are adequately vaccinated, significant gaps remain.

    Millions of Canadians still need to be vaccinated

    According to her, 7.3 million eligible people are still not adequately vaccinated. In addition, there are 4.8 million children too young to be vaccinated under the rules currently in force.
     There are still far too many people at risk of contracting the virus and spreadingit, said Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s Deputy Chief Public Health Officer at the same press briefing.
    He says that  if all goes well,some COVID-19 vaccines could be approved for under-12s towards the end of the year or early next year.
    On average, there are more than 3700 new cases and 18 additional deaths daily in the country at the moment, according to health authorities.
    Between the end of July and the end of August, unvaccinated people were 12 times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than adequately vaccinated people. They were also 36 times more likely to be hospitalized than the latter, says Dr. Tam.

  • Laurentian University researchers plan to tour the North to find out why some people choose not to get vaccinated

    By: Len Gillis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Sudbury.com
    Researchers from Laurentian University in Sudbury will soon be travelling to workplaces across Northern Ontario to find out why many Northerners have not yet decided to get the COVID-19 vaccine and to “encourage confidence” in the vaccine programs.
    Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) has provided a $50,000 grant to Laurentian’s Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH) to carry out the research.
    “Northern Ontario has a unique culture, and the concerns and questions Northern Ontarians have, may not reflect the concerns of other Ontarians,” said Dr. Dandra Dorman, the director of CROSH.
    “Sharing and exchanging health and safety information with people living in Northern Ontario is a core mission of CROSH; we are excited to reconnect with communities and better understand their concerns and choices,” she added.
    Dorman said in an interview Tuesday that the research won’t just mean visits to communities per se, as much as it will involve visiting industrial sites and other workplaces to gather data.
    “Actually, we were communicating with the individual communities, all of the health units and leaders from all of the different communities to try and identify what are their individual needs,” said Dorman.
    “What are the health teams hearing from their community members that are the primary barriers to getting vaccinated or are the reasons they’re giving for not choosing to get vaccinated?”
    Dorman said some smaller or remote communities might have seen very few cases of COVID-19 so far and might think it won’t affect them. Other communities, with a large number of younger people, might not be worried about COVID, thinking they’re young enough and strong enough to handle the disease. And so they don’t bother getting vaccinated.
    “And so what we’re trying to do right now is identify the themes that come out across Northern Ontario, but also within each specific region. And then we’re developing materials to address those themes. So that when we go to the communities, we can start the conversation. And, just try and engage with them to have the discussion,” said Dorman.
    She said it is not the intention of the CROSH researchers to create conflict or put anyone down for their hesitancy. Dorman said she believes there is a feeling among a lot of Northerners who have a real desire to talk to people in a neutral way to get information on vaccines.
    “But I think a lot of people are not not sure who to talk to about it, because they don’t want to get into community arguments, right,” said Dorman.
    She said the CROSH team will provide information, infographics and video presentations in the various venues they visit. People will be encouraged to take information home with them or to share it with friends and co-workers. Dorman said information will be presented in a way that feels less conflicting for community members and hopefully done in a way that will answer questions people have.
    To that end, Dorman said the CROSH researchers are still in the process of finding workplaces in Northern communities that wish to be part of the research. Dorman said the team is in the process of developing the itinerary for September.  Anyone interested in having the team visit their workplace, please contact: croshtech@laurentian.ca by email.
    Dorman said the program is called Community Immunity and is geared toward the long-term protection of Northern towns and cities.
    So there, you know, I’d like to play off of this concept of Northern communities supporting and protecting each other, so that we can all be healthy,” said Dorman.
    “And I really believe that, particularly our strongest members in our community, need to get vaccinated to protect our vulnerable members in our community,” she added.
    Dorman said not everyone can get vaccinated and there are many residents who are legitimately vulnerable. She said they need to have protection from the larger community.
    “I actually think one of the most powerful messages to convince people to get vaccinated is to remind them that you’re not necessarily doing it for you. You’re doing it for your community. I love my community. I think most Northerners love their community. And so let’s support each other. Do it for each other,” said Dorman.

  • Pfizer has enough data to request emergency use of vaccine

    By: Lynn Desjardins
    The pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech are now announcing new test results that show their vaccine against COVID-19 is 95 per cent effective and they will to go to U.S. authorities to ask for emergency approval for use.
    The U.S. FDA can issue an Emergency Use Authorization to allow unapproved medical products to be used during a public health emergency when there are no approved alternatives and the evidence shows it is reasonable to believe the product is effective.
    The test involved 44,000 people in the U.S. and five other countries and was found to be effective across age, race and ethnicity demographics, and was well tolerated. Only four per cent said they felt fatigue after the second dose.

    50 million doses possible before end 2020

    The companies say they have ramped up manufacturing capabilities around the world. They expect to be able to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021.
    The vaccine must be kept at extremely low temperatures, but the companies say they have developed specially designed thermal shippers. These, they say, can be used as temporary storage units for 15 day by refilling with dry ice. The shippers contain thermal sensors to track the location and temperature of each vaccine shipment.
    Because of the novel way the vaccine is made, Pfizer says it can be modified if the virus mutates.
    Last week, Moderna announced that its experimental vaccine seems to be 94.5 per cent effective after it analysed its late-stage study. Its vaccine does not require storage at temperatures as low as the Pfizer vaccine.
    Canada has agreements to purchase both vaccines once they are ready to be rolled out. Each country will decide who gets the vaccine first, but Pfizer suggests it will be front line health care workers, essential workers, immunocompromised individuals and those in nursing homes.