Last week marked the start of the largest mass immunization campaign in Ottawa’s history. In the face of overwhelming demand for the H1N1 vaccine, our city is off to a good start.
The campaign, slated to begin in early November, started ahead of schedule.
At the end of the first two days, when very few cities across Canada even had clinics up and running, at least 10,000 Ottawa residents had received the vaccine.
In seven days Ottawa Public Health (OPH) staff vaccinated more Ottawa residents than they usually do in an entire annual flu season. That means more than 80,000 Ottawa residents have been vaccinated directly in OPH clinics.
Add to that number the doses distributed to the hospital and extended care sector, and Ottawa is exactly where we had hoped to be at this time.
But an unprecedented campaign of this magnitude comes with its challenges, and long line ups have led to frustration. So I remind everyone that our staff are following the regulations established by the provincial government, and that it has been our staff who have identified, and worked within provincial guidelines to correct, several logistical problems related to the immunization campaign.
While OPH staff strive to deliver more vaccine- and faster, they are also doing the very tough task of juggling issues of supply, demand and capacity.
The federal government has told us for months that there will be enough vaccine for every Canadian who wants it. However, recent news from Health Canada that vaccine supply will be temporarily limited in the coming weeks has put into question how much will be available- and when.
This makes it even more important that we vaccinate only those who are on the priority list at this time- a difficult policy to enforce.
I must remind Ottawa residents that those who are not on the priority list for vaccination should not be in clinic lines yet. I urge you to be mindful of the fact that, if you are not in one of the priority groups, you are taking a dose of vaccine from someone who needs it more than you.
While you do your part, we at the City of Ottawa are doing ours.
OPH has been making efficiency improvements at their clinics, and we will continue to see improvement over the coming days and weeks:
- Last week they implemented a wristband process which means less time waiting in line-ups;
- Registration forms are now posted on OPH’s website, so that they can be filled out before arriving at the clinics, or while waiting in line;
- We are increasing the number of people delivering the injections to reduce wait times; and
- OPH is working diligently to bring on alternate delivery streams like family doctors.
Even with this progress, however, wait times are still long, and lines continue to form. This is the case across the country, where citizens are making this vaccine a priority- after all; it’s the best way to protect yourself against H1N1.
This virus is a considerable community challenge, and I urge our community to be patient as we work to confront it.
On behalf of all residents of the City of Ottawa, I’d like to thank Dr. Levy, Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health, for his leadership during this time. Our success so far is also due to the many City staff- OPH, Information Technology Services, Emergency and Protective Services, Parks and Recreation, Ottawa Paramedic Services, Communications and Customer Services and Public Works- all who have been working tirelessly to deliver this vaccine as quickly and efficiently as possible. On behalf of the residents and my council colleagues, thank you for your continued efforts.
Larry O’Brien, Mayor of the City of Ottawa
