The COVID-19 vaccine is rolling out.

The Grey Bruce Health Unit will obtain contact info and book appointments for those 80 years old and older through three methods:

· We are working with family physicians to obtain their patient lists. Your healthcare provider will call you if you are over 80 and eligible to receive the vaccine. You cannot book an appointment by calling your healthcare provider – they will call you.

· We are working with the organizations providing home care to obtain their client lists. You cannot book an appointment by calling these agencies – Public Health will call you.

· A 1-800 number for booking and provincial online booking system will be made available March 15, 2021. For those not captured by the above two methods, including those 80+ years without a family physician and those with a physician outside Grey Bruce.

Those outside of this age group, including those with health conditions, are directed to use the provincial booking system following March 15, 2021, based on your order in the provincial framework.

Clinics and other venues where the vaccine will be administered are being developed this week. No appointments are currently available – you will be contacted directly to book your appointment in the coming days/week. Appointments are not available by calling the Health Unit at this time.

The Grey Bruce Health Unit has been working with different partners through the task force to identify immunization spaces in communities throughout Grey Bruce:

· The two counties connected with municipalities to map out organizations with sufficient space.

· All primary care and pharmacist in Grey Bruce have been contacted to identify practices that are willing to run mass immunization to determine space requirements.

By cross matching the above, the Grey Bruce Health Unit will be able to provide immunization clinics at no cost to primary care physicians and pharmacist, We will use the hub model and other community sites as needed. Clinic will be available to residents in Grey Bruce as close to their communities as possible.

The Grey Bruce Health Unit staff will provide the clinics with the supply of vaccine, the registration of all patients and receipts for proof of vaccine.

In addition to staff from the Grey Bruce Health Unit and Family Heath Teams, the immunization clinics are supported by a list of volunteers, primarily made up of retired nurses, retired physicians and nursing students from Georgian College.

Be reassured that all eligible persons will be reached through mainstream media, social media, media releases, and various partnering communication networks. Continue to watch local media for updates as the vaccine rolls out to different priority populations.

To stay up to date, please continue to visits the Public Health Unit’s website at: COVID-19 Vaccines (publichealthgreybruce.on.ca)

source: media release, Grey Bruce Health Unit