Donna Duncan, CEO of the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) released the following statement today:
"The evidence is clear that the best way to protect yourself, and others, from COVID-19 and its devastating effects is to get vaccinated. Full stop.
No one knows that better than Ontario’s long-term care homes, and our residents, staff and their families who have been on the frontlines of the fight against the deadly virus since the onset of the pandemic. With the prioritization of the COVID-19 vaccines as early as December 2020, cases and deaths dramatically lowered, slowly bringing back a sense of normalcy and the safe and supportive environments required for high-quality care.
In light of growing concerns about the Delta variant and a fourth wave of the pandemic in the fall, the Ontario Long Term Care Association is asking the Ontario Government to mandate COVID-19 vaccines not only for long-term care staff, but for all health care workers in all settings to help protect our communities. Clear policy from the Ontario Government will create consistency across all long-term care homes, hospitals, home care, and other health care services providing peace-of-mind to residents, patients, staff and their families across the province. It will also ensure organizations are not at risk of losing their staff to other health care settings, instead of meaningfully addressing vaccines refusals to protect our vulnerable.
Implementing mandatory vaccines for health care workers in long-term care will not only protect our residents and staff; it is likely to provide an extra measure of protection for staffing levels if there is a fourth wave. The staffing in some homes was severely compromised when staff were off ill with COVID-19, as we saw through earlier parts of the pandemic. We cannot have that happen again.
In addition, OLTCA is advocating for increased efforts of relevant scientific partners to investigate and make recommendations on the need for long-term care residents, staff and essential caregivers to receive booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccines. This guidance is critical to allow time to manage supply and create plans for administration. Our long-term care communities were the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccines and if evidence shows that boosters are needed to maintain protection, our residents, staff, and essential caregivers will need to be prioritized.
Through partnership with the Ontario Government and public health authorities, overall vaccine uptake among residents, their essential caregivers, and staff has been high. Ontario Government data from July 23 shows that virtually all residents, an estimated 89% of staff, and an estimated 91% of essential caregivers were fully immunized with two doses, while 93% of staff and 95% of caregivers had received their first dose. This was achieved through strategies such as onsite clinics, empowering peer ambassadors, and providing significant education campaigns with the facts about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines to counter misinformation.
Ontario’s long-term care homes continue to do everything possible to protect residents, families and our staff from the devastating impacts of COVID-19. We cannot risk the progress we have made in the recent months. It’s time to close the gap and for the Ontario Government to mandate vaccines for all health care workers, while relevant scientific partners expedite guidance for potential boosters to stay ahead of the Delta variant and a potential fourth wave.”
source: Ontario Long Term Care Association
