Journal Staff
MPP Bob Bailey confirmed today it will be “weeks” before Sarnia-Lambton residents can begin receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Bailey released a statement one day after Lambton Medical Officer of Health Dr. Sudit Ranade said Monday it might be late January or early February before local residents can start getting shots.
Ranade said residents of long-term care and retirement homes will be first in line, a process complicated by the sub-zero storage requirements for the Pfizer vaccine.
Dr. Ranade predicted more vaccines will be approved shortly and newer vaccines, including the recently approved Moderna shot, don’t have the same storage demands of the Pfizer vaccine.
In a news release today, MPP Bailey said 'Phase One' of the vaccine distribution is allocated to the hardest hit areas of the province.
Sarnia-Lambton is included in Phase Two, “which will be introduced in the coming weeks,” he said.
The full release from Bailey’s office is printed below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2021
Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey Issues Statement
on Local COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout
SARNIA-LAMBTON —
In response to numerous questions about the local COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout, Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey has released the following statement:
“As the vaccination program is rolled out across our province, it is being done so in accordance with an Ethical Framework that has been developed by the Ontario government in partnership with the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force. We know that people are eager to get vaccinated and this framework helps ensure that we do it in an ethical, effective and compassionate way. Phase One of the program commenced on December 15, 2020 and the province continues to vaccinate vulnerable populations and those who care for them through its three-phase implementation plan as additional vaccines become available. Phase One has been designated for the hardest hit areas of the province. Sarnia-Lambton will be part of Phase Two, which will be introduced in the coming weeks. I have been in constant contact with the Ministry of Health, Lambton Public Health and Bluewater Health, who have all assured me that Lambton County’s most vulnerable citizens and critical healthcare workers will receive vaccinations as soon as they are available for distribution in Phase Two. Lambton Public Health and Bluewater Health are coordinating the implementation of the local vaccine rollout and have a comprehensive distribution plan in place for when local vaccine supplies arrive. They are ready and prepared for when that happens so they can start immunizing people as expediently as possible. The Ontario government is working hand-in-hand with the Federal government and Health Canada, the two entities that are in charge of procuring the various approved vaccines. This will ensure that all Ontarians receive access to these high-demand vaccinations based on availability and the most urgent needs. For more information, please view the Ethical Framework for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Thank you for your continued patience.” - Bob Bailey, Sarnia-Lambton MPP
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Bob Bailey
Phone: (519) 337-0051
E-Mail: [email protected]