A 79-year-old friend wrote to me yesterday: “Any advice on where I should register for a COVID-19 vaccine? The provincial portal opens for my age-group on Monday. But is the Sudbury Health Unit continuing with its local registration lottery, bringing it down to 75 and older?”
I told him that I would do some research.
The answer to his question depends on where you live.
In areas designated Red-Control Zone, COVID-19 vaccination appointments are now available for York Region, residents 75 years of age and older and eligible frontline healthcare workers.
Adults in Simcoe Muskoka, ages 75 to 79, will join residents eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine sooner than initially planned. Starting Monday, adults 75 and older qualify to pre-register for an appointment to get the shot through Ontario's online booking portal.
Despite a provincial announcement Friday, the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit has said it's not yet able to book appointments for individuals 75-79 years of age.
In a news release, the health unit said they are still working on Phase 1 vaccinations for people ages 80 and older.
"Booking of Phase 2 priority vaccinations, which includes seniors aged 60-79 years of age, will begin when the majority of Phase 1 vaccinations are near completion," the release said.
The following information is from Public Health Sudbury and Districts’ webpage, as of March 20.
While those aged 75 and older are not yet being offered the vaccine locally, they will be next in line to receive the vaccine. Currently, pharmacies across our service area are not among those offering the COVID-19 vaccine.
Public Health Sudbury also encourages people to check the health unit website regularly for updates.
This is clear evidence that northern citizens are not getting a fair deal. The North has a higher percentage of seniors than the South. Sudbury and Thunder Bay are in lockdown. York and Simcoe-Muskoka are not.
In Sudbury, businesses are suffering from the second lockdown in 3 months. Our hospital is at risk of being overwhelmed. Our schools are closed. We are reaching 50 per cent levels in variant cases.
A friend has been wondering whether to travel out of the district to get vaccinated. I told him that I would do some research.
Citing a report from CBC, the Kingston Whig Standard reported March 16 “that some Ottawa-area residents were travelling to pharmacies in Sharbot Lake and Amherstview, two of the 46 pharmacies across the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington region participating in a provincial pilot to integrate pharmacies in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.”
Just think about it. The same province that has refused to grant our request for a Northern Bubble has just set up a system that all but encourages individuals to travel out of the district to get a vaccine.
Surely, this is unintended madness.
I urge the community to rise up and say with a loud voice “Enough is enough.” Send us our just and fair portion of vaccines. Open equal access for vaccines to our pharmacies and family physicians.
While it is understandable to get things wrong during the first wave, never mind repeat the same sorry performance during the second wave, it is unforgivable to repeat the same performance during the third wave, with the variants thrown in for good measure. Imagine setting up a system that promotes travel from a Red Zone in Ottawa to a Green Zone in Kingston.
It is time for young and old, folks from all backgrounds, all over Sudbury, to give voice to Howard Beale’s memorable words in the movie Network: “I am mad as hell and I am not going to take this anymore”.
Please send a flood of emails to Premier Ford.
Dr. Peter Zalan is past president of the medical staff at Health Sciences North.
