6,000 Hamilton health-care workers to be vaccinated by end of next week

Some 6,000 Hamilton health-care workers will be vaccinated in the next seven days, according to news shared at a recent Hamilton Health Sciences town hall.

Leslie Gauthier, vice-president of clinical support services and surgery, updated staff during the Thursday meeting.

"Our line of sight to our Pfizer vaccines is much more stable right now. We did receive delivery this week and we have confirmation of [planned] delivery for the next two weeks ... but looking at about 5,800 doses a week coming in," Gauthier said.

This comes as Hamilton and surrounding municipalities have confirmed the presence of COVID-19 variants of concern. It also follows weeks of concern about the vaccine supply chain.

Gauthier said the fixed vaccination clinic will resume giving out second doses to health-care workers, and is planning to resume first doses.

"All of HHS and St. Joe's [alternate level of care patients] and our Satellite Health Facility patients who want vaccine have been vaccinated," Gauthier said. "Work is underway with public health to vaccinate our patients at St. Peter's over the upcoming days."

She said that after Feb. 25, health-care workers who work with patients will start getting vaccines as well.

Michelle Baird, co-chair of Hamilton's vaccine logistics planning table and the city's director of healthy and safe communities, told Hamilton's board of health that as of Sunday, first doses will be done at all long-term care and retirement homes, and for alternate level of care patients preparing to enter long-term care.

The next step, Gauthier said, is to begin vaccinating the general public. That starts with the roughly 20,000 people aged 80 and older.