Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Health Care Providers

February 27, 2021

From:
Dr. Piotr Oglaza
Medical Officer of Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

In this Issue:

1. Highest and High Priority HCWs Now Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine
2. Booking a Vaccination Appointment with HPEPH
3. What Healthcare Workers Will Become Eligible Next?
4. When will Age-Based Vaccination Become Available?

Highest and High Priority HCWs Now Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine in HPEPH

As we work together to end the pandemic, we recognize that our health care partners are eager to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Protecting our health care partners through vaccination is critical to ensure safe and accessible health care services remain available to the public.

Who is Eligible to Book an Appointment for Vaccination

At this time, Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is continuing progress to make the vaccine available to the highest and very high priority groups (as outlined by the Ministry of Health) for COVID-19 vaccinations. At this time, frontline health care workers in the following sectors and settings are eligible to receive the vaccine locally, and are invited to book an appointment with HPEPH to receive the vaccine.

Community care with high risk of exposure and serving the general population including*:

• Birth centres,
• Community Based Specialists,
• Death investigation professionals,
• Dentistry,
• Gynecology/obstetrics,
• Midwifery,
• Nurse practitioner led clinics/contract nursing agencies,
• Otolaryngology (ENT),
• Pharmacies,
• Primary care,
• Respirology (Respiratory Therapy),
• Walk-in clinics.

Please note that direct communication with eligible groups is not always possible. As additional clinics are organized in the region over the coming weeks, HPEPH will continue to update hpePublicHealth.ca/covid-19-vaccines and share information with the public and media as appropriate to notify eligible groups. 

*In alignment with Ministry guidance, where a health sector has been named, all workers in that sector are eligible (e.g., including custodial, security and reception staff). Where a non-health setting has been named, only workers providing a health service or direct patient care are eligible at this time.

Booking an Appointment With HPEPH

If you/your staff are eligible to book according to the criteria listed above, we recommend that only half of your staff get vaccinated at one time. This will ensure your organization retains appropriate staffing levels in the event that staff experience side effects from the vaccine (e.g. headache, sore arm).

To book an appointment through HPEPH Vaccination Clinics for Highest/Very High Priority Health Care Workers, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca/booking/. Please note additional dates and locations will be added in the following days, dependant on vaccine availability.

Additional Information About the Vaccine

For additional information/resources about the COVID-19 vaccines, and information on the current status of vaccine rollout in our region, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca/covid-19-vaccines.

What Healthcare Workers Will Become Eligible Next? 

If you/your organization is not listed above, you are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine at the current time. Once vaccines have been delivered to the Highest and Very High Priority Groups of Healthcare Workers, HPEPH will begin offering vaccines to frontline health care workers in the following settings and sectors:

• Community care with lower risk of exposure and serving special populations (developmental services, mental health and addictions services).
• Community care with lower risk of exposure and serving general population (Campus health, Community diagnostic imaging, Daycare/school nursing, Dietary / nutrition, Independent health facilities (e.g., Opticians/Optometry, Podiatry, Audiology, medical and surgical specialties), Naturopathy / Holistic care, Social work, Sexual health clinics).
• Non-acute rehabilitation and therapy(Chiropractic, Chronic pain clinics, Kinesiology, Occupational therapy, Physiotherapy, Psychiatry, Psychology, Psychotherapy, Registered massage therapy / Acupuncture, Other therapy).
• Public health (all other public health).

When Will Age-Based Vaccination Become Available? 

We know many of your patients are eagerly awaiting the vaccine. We expect that we will begin offering age-based vaccination to the general population over 80 years of age (in descending age-based increments) mid to late March. At the direction of the Ministry, age-based vaccination will likely happen concurrently while vaccinations for health care workers continue to be completed. For the most up to date information about HPEPH’s vaccine rollout plan, visit hpePublicHealth.ca/covid-19-vaccines.

Back to Summary

Contact Information: 

To give us your comments: etubbs@hpeph.ca

To report communicable diseases:613-966-5500 x349

To report AEFI or DOPHS: Online / Fax: 613-966-1813 or CDCFAX1@hpeph.ca

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