The Durham Region Health Department is getting ready to launch an online booking system and a community-wide call centre to schedule COVID-19 vaccinations.

A media release notes that the systems are scheduled to launch over the next few days to begin providing access to vaccine based on priority populations, as outlined by the Province.

The first group are residents aged 80 and up.

Since early January, the health department has worked with Lakeridge Health to ensure that all immediate priority groups, as outlined by the Province, have been vaccinated. This included:

– Staff and essential caregivers in long-term care homes; high-risk retirement homes and First Nations elder care homes; and any residents from these settings who have not yet received a first dose of vaccine;

– Alternative level of care patients, in hospitals, who have a confirmed admission to a long-term care home, retirement home or other congregate care home for seniors;

– Highest Priority health care workers, followed by Very High Priority health care workers, in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Health’s guidance on health care worker prioritization; and,

– Indigenous adults in northern remote and higher risk communities (including on-reserve and urban communities).

“As we’ve concluded with the previous priority groups, we are now ramping up to begin vaccinating those in the 80 and over population. It is important to understand that our vaccine supply is still limited, as we currently only have access to the Pfizer vaccine in Durham Region,” said Durham Region Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Kyle.

“As soon as we receive updated information regarding our vaccine supply, we will start to expand our clinic operations to begin vaccination of other priority populations based on the province’s three-phase vaccine distribution implementation plan.”