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Tracking the COVID vaccine rollout in Wellington, Dufferin, and Guelph – Toronto Star

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As Guelph, Dufferin County and Wellington County begin COVID-19 vaccination programs, we’re tracking every dose administered. 2,761 new doses were reported for Dec. 10-12.

A total of 503,984 doses of vaccine have been administered in the region as of Dec. 12, with 253,731 people receiving at least one dose and 240,374 people fully vaccinated.

The chart above illustrates the most up-to-date number of vaccine doses that have been received and administered in Guelph, Dufferin County and Wellington County.

The COVID-19 vaccination data used in the chart is manually compiled from each public health unit in Ontario and is being updated daily, Monday through Friday.

Here are some key developments in the vaccine rollout in Guelph, Wellington County and Dufferin County:

MAY 21

The Ontario government announces it will resume administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, but only for second doses.

MAY 11

The Ontario provincial government announces it is pausing administration of first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine due to an increased risk of a rare blood-clotting syndrome linked to the shot.

MAY 6

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health expands vaccine pre-registration to those aged 12-15 after Health Canada approves the use of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for that age group.

APRIL 30

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health says it will now be publicizing outbreaks in public-facing businesses.

APRIL 19

The provincial government announces that, starting April 20, the age eligibility for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine would be lowered to 40 from 55, with the vaccine available via appointment at local pharmacies and primary care settings.

APRIL 12

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health opens up preregistration for COVID-19 vaccination to all residents aged 16 and up.

APRIL 11

The provincial government announces more pharmacies, including a number in Guelph, Wellington County and Dufferin County, will be offering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are by appointment only, and are available to those aged 55 and up.

APRIL 6

The provincial government announces expanded COVID-19 vaccination efforts in hot spot areas, including one west Guelph neighbourhood.

APRIL 3

A number of pharmacies in Guelph and Fergus begin to offer the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine by appointment only.

MARCH 11

A mass vaccination clinic, which at its peak will be able to deliver 2,000 vaccinations per day, opens at Skyjack’s facility on Woodlawn Road West in Guelph.

MARCH 10

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health opens up pre-registration for those that qualify under Phase 2 of the provincial vaccination rollout.

FEBRUARY 19

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health opens its first mass vaccination clinic at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in Fergus, with up to 500 doses being administered daily. Only healthcare workers, long-term care and retirement home essential caregivers are currently able to get the needed appointments. However, the clinic will be able to administer up to 5,000 daily doses once supplies increase, and vaccination opens to the wider public.

FEBRUARY 16

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health announced that its plan to vaccinate as many as 10,000 people per day, as soon as there is enough vaccine supplies available to do so, has been endorsed by the province’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force. Under this plan, Public Health is looking to vaccinate at least 75 per cent of those aged 16 and over by early August.

JANUARY 28

Due to a shortage of the Pfizer vaccine, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health announces it is pausing initial vaccination doses, putting its focus on ensuring people who have already received their first shot are able to get their second. It is also announced that, as of Jan. 27, all long-term care and retirement home residents within its jurisdiction have received their first vaccination dose.

JANUARY 20

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health announces that it will not be receiving an expected shipment of 1,975 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Feb. 1, with no expected date for when additional doses will arrive.

JANUARY 18

Due to production issues in Belgium from Pfizer, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health says it has been forced to reschedule some of its vaccination appointments.

JANUARY 6

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health begins to administer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, with workers from the hard hit Shelburne Long Term Care Home and Retirement Community the first to receive their shots.

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Canada to donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to combat mpox outbreaks in Africa

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The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.

It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.

Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”

Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.

Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.

On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.

Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”

But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”

“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.

Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.

Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.

Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.

“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.

“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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How many Nova Scotians are on the doctor wait-list? Number hit 160,000 in June

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HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.

The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.

Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.

“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”

The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.

A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.

Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.

“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.

Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.

The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.

“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Newfoundland and Labrador monitoring rise in whooping cough cases: medical officer

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ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.

Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.

The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.

“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.

Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.

Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.

A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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