First LTC residents to be vaccinated in Waterloo Region

Waterloo Region – Residents of three long-term care homes in Waterloo Region will be the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of a newly launched mobile clinic program.

The mobile clinic, developed by Region of Waterloo Public Health and several community partners, is part of the first phase of a three-phased provincial distribution implementation plan. The first phase prioritizes health care workers, essential caregivers, long-term care home and retirement home residents, First Nation communities and urban Indigenous populations, including Métis and Inuit adults.

The second phase adds priority vaccination of other congregate care settings and older adults aged 70 plus. Vaccination of the broader community, as part of Phase 3, is expected to begin in the summer.

“We are excited to launch the mobile clinic program, which is a vital step to ensuring more people in our community receive the COVID-19 immunization,” said Shirley Hilton, Deputy Chief for the Waterloo Regional Police Service and head of the Region of Waterloo COVID-19 Immunization Distribution Task Force. “Mobile clinics will be able to reach long-term care homes quickly and safely to ensure the health and wellness of residents and staff.”

Last week, the cold storage restrictions on the Pfizer vaccine were lifted, which allowed vaccines to be administered in locations outside of Grand River Hospital. Along with mobile clinics, the vaccination clinic at Grand River Hospital will continue to operate.

Due to privacy and health concerns, media are asked to not attend the mobile clinic sites. Images and footage will be made available to media later today.

Members of the public are asked to continue following public health guidelines to help reduce the risk of the virus spreading in our community. More information on how you can protect yourself and others can be found on our website.

More information and regular updates on the work of the taskforce are available on the Region of Waterloo’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Taskforce Webpage.

Media Contact:

Julie Kalbfleisch, Manager, Information & Communications
Region of Waterloo Public Health & Emergency Services
jkalbfleisch@regionofwaterloo.ca

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