By Kaitlyn Clark
The Haldimand Press
HALDIMAND—The Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit (HNHU) announced March 14, 2021 that people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine will now have to wait four months for their second dose.
“The Province has given direction about the vaccination program. It is requesting, it is actually requiring, that the second dose of the vaccine be delayed to the four-month timeframe. The focus now is on first injections,” said local Medical Officer of Health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai a day after the announcement. “The rationale for this policy is to try to get as many vaccines into people for their first injection.”
Currently, Haldimand is receiving supplies of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both of which require two doses. The companies recommend giving the second dose 21 or 28 days, respectively, after the first dose. When asked how effective the first dose alone would be for the extended period, Nesathurai said, “It is complicated, but I think the vast majority of the benefit is from the first injection and so I’m comfortable giving the first injection and then delaying the second injection up to four months later for the Moderna and Pfizer products.”
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), an external advisory body informing the Public Health Agency of Canada, stated in a report, “While studies have not yet collected four months of data on vaccine effectiveness after the first dose, the first two months of real world effectiveness are showing sustained high levels of protection.”
“Extending the interval between doses was shown to be a good strategy through modelling, even in scenarios considering a six-month interval and in theoretical scenarios where waning protection was considered,” continued the report. “Extending the dose interval to four months allows NACI to create opportunities for protection of the entire adult population within a short timeframe. This will not only achieve protection of the adult population but will also contribute to health equity.”
Nesathurai noted that this change means up to 6,000 people who were scheduled for their second dose in the next few weeks must be rescheduled for the new timeline. He added, “It will take some time for the public health service working with its partners to effectuate that process.”
HNHU will contact anyone whose second dose has been cancelled to reschedule. Anyone currently scheduled is asked not to contact HNHU, but to wait for their call.
The following groups will continue to receive vaccine at the initial intervals outlined by the vaccine companies:
- Residents of long-term care homes, retirement homes, elder care lodges, and assisted living facilities
- Remote and isolated First Nation communities (currently supported by Operation Remote Immunity)
Haldimand Norfolk nearing completion of Phase 1 vaccine rollout
Nesathurai stated Monday: “We have multiple sites of vaccination to provide vaccine to people. For the most part, we will have exhausted all the people by the end of this week in Priority 1.”
Priority 1 groups included senior’s home residents and staff, front-facing or high risk health care workers, and adults over 80, among others. Any Priority 1 residents who have yet to receive or schedule their first dose are asked to call 519-427-5903 or email vaccine@hnhss.ca to set up an appointment.
A Provincial memo states Phase 2 will begin in April, although Haldimand Norfolk could be ready to move to Phase 2 earlier. Nesathurai stated, “We have the capacity to vaccinate people if given the authority to expand the criterion. I think one of the issues … is that they want to have some similarity between the age groups that might be vaccinated in one health district versus another.”
Once Haldimand Norfolk is approved to begin Phase 2 vaccinations, this will include:
- Adults aged 60-79, beginning with those 75 years of age and older, and decreasing in five-year increments over the course of the vaccine rollout
- People who live and/or work in high-risk congregate settings (e.g. shelters, community living), as well as some primary caregivers
- Individuals with high-risk chronic health conditions and some primary caregivers of those with highest risk health conditions
- People who live in hot spots with high rates of death, hospitalizations, and transmission of infection
- Certain workers who cannot work from home, including but not limited to, first responders, education workers, and those in the food processing industry
Phase 2 priority group bookings will be coordinated through family physicians as they were with Phase 1; residents will be asked to wait for a call from HNHU. Further information about health conditions specific to Phase 2 will also be addressed through family physicians. Sarah Page, the Haldimand Norfolk vaccine roll out lead, said they are receiving vaccines at a “high level” with about 2,200-4,700 doses of Pfizer and 1,200-1,500 doses of Moderna per week.
“With the addition of Moderna we’re looking at different avenues to spread out our vaccine rollout program,” said Page. “Moving forward we had allotted some of (the current doses in storage) for second doses over the next two to three weeks as people’s three and five week deadlines were coming up. Now that that’s put off, we’re just changing gears and figuring out how to get that vaccine out to the community. For us right now it’s not a supply problem.”
