Coronavirus: Ontario doctors “dissatisfied” with Ford’s government vaccine deployment plan

Ontario family doctors say they are dissatisfied with the lack of communication and clarity around the state COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) (# If there is no character limit, add parentheses when it first appears Vaccine deployment plans as their clinics continue to be flooded with calls from patients asking for more information about vaccination.

“The staff is overwhelmed by that,” said Dr. Yoel Abells of the Toronto Clinic on Eglinton Avenue West.

“There is tremendous frustration among doctors, uncertainty about communication problems, uncertainty about what to tell patients, and the impact is not limited to us. . People in the community are worried. “

“Our phone is off-hook for COVID vaccine inquiries,” added Dr. Farah Jetha of the Crosstown Family Health Team.

“We have not yet been given guidance on vaccine supply in our office, but we also expect to provide this guidance to our patients as they are listening to it in the news. It has been.”

Abels believes there is a problem with the Doug Ford government, which said it took months to prepare and relay a distribution plan for state doctors, but details the role doctors play in the vaccination process. I’m just announcing.

“It’s responsive, not aggressive,” Abels said. “The biggest mistake was knowing that the vaccine was launched 3-4 months ago and that the plan should be implemented 3-4 months ago.”

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He said his patient is currently signing up at multiple sites and is experiencing a large backlog in the system because he does not know where the vaccine will be guaranteed.

Abels also argues that the state’s inclusion of family doctors in the Immunization Task Force, announced early December last year, could have avoided confusion.

“We are the ones who gave most flu vaccines, most common vaccines,” he said. “We know how it works, what patients are asking, what they are worried about. Until relatively recently, we haven’t been brought into discussion. It was. “

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On Friday, retired General Rick Hiller, head of the Ontario Immunization Distribution Task Force, gave some clarity to family doctors who are about to begin vaccination.

“They will literally be part of AstraZeneca’s rollout starting next week,” Hillier said.

He added that doctors can vaccinate patients in three ways. In your clinic, where you team up with multiple other doctors for mass vaccination, or in a way called the “SWAT team” approach where doctors go. Go directly to your home to vaccinate people with chronic care.

Hillier did not specify when doctors would learn which vaccination process to participate in and who would decide for them. He also did not provide the exact date the doctor would receive the dose to administer to the patient.

“My doctor is part of the development here,” he said. “As vaccines are introduced, they will get more and more information in the coming days and weeks.”

Abels said the government is moving in the right direction this week by providing some clarity, but vaccination plans at family doctors’ clinics are still firmly in place before the vaccine arrives. I wonder why it wasn’t.

In the meantime, he begs patients and others not to enroll in multiple vaccination clinics from a panic.

“Find out which hospital is responsible for your area and register there,” he said. “Don’t register in multiple locations. Not only will you have more chances to get the vaccine, but if so, it will overload your system, if at a minimum.”

Meanwhile, neither Abels nor Yesa have heard when the clinic will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, even though Hillier said at a press conference that it would be next week.

“We hope to get new approval for the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, get more involved in the deployment process and be able to vaccinate patients sooner,” said Jessa. Stated.

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