Article content continued
Etches said high rates of protection against the flu will protect both individuals and the health system at a time when COVID-19 cases are rising. On Friday, Etches warned that Ottawa’s health system is in crisis, in part because of extra pressure resulting from the pandemic.
Ottawa family physician Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth said she has also been told to expect fewer doses of flu vaccine for her patients this year.
In Ottawa, though, Ottawa Public Health is holding large vaccination clinics in conjunction with primary caregivers, in part, to help manage large volumes of patients safely during the pandemic.
But Kaplan-Myrth said she has concerns that the group immunization clinic is going to be chaotic and many of her patients won’t get in.
Another Ottawa primary physician said she and her colleagues at the Riverside Court Medical Clinic are planning to hold a large drive-through flu vaccine clinic in the parking lot of the Met church on Prince of Wales Drive. But Dr. Nicole Shadbolt said she has been warned there are no guarantees about how many vaccines she will get. Ottawa Public Health is in charge of distributing much of the flu vaccine used in Ottawa.
In response to a question about the Perth clinic being told to expect fewer vaccines, Ministry of Health spokeswoman Anna Miller said the first shipments of flu vaccines started being delivered to public health units, long-term care homes and hospitals in September “to prioritize vulnerable populations.” Broader community distribution, including to primary caregivers and pharmacies “is currently being rolled out and will continue in the coming weeks.”
She said the province will allocate high-dose flu vaccines for seniors to some pharmacies for the first time and that the province is increasing locations where Ontarians can receive a flu shot “to increase access for patients and spread out the demand for the product across our health-care providers, particularly as some providers are focusing on virtual care in response to COVID-19.”
She did not directly answer the question about whether individual physicians will be getting fewer vaccines.
