Ottawa, EOHU already planning for COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Ottawa-area health officials have begun discussing what a potential COVID-19 vaccine rolloutcould look like,while also urging people to keep their expectations in check.

On Monday,pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that early data suggested its vaccine one ofseven that Canada has pre-ordered may be 90 per centeffective at preventing COVID-19.

While the news does not mean a vaccine is imminent, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said his hope onewould be "coming early next year."

In Ottawa, any rollout would likely adoptelements from this year's appointment-based flu vaccination program, withinoculation "hubs" around the city, health board chair Coun. Keith Egli said.

The city would have to procure ultra-cold freezer units to keep the vaccine "viable," Egli said.The Pfizer vaccine is what's known as an mRNA vaccine a relatively new type that must be kept significantly colderthan protein-based vaccines.

Eglicautioned thatany plans are still in the early stages.

"We're talking about a vaccine that's showing promising results, but still, it's not been approved," he said.

"We have a media release from Pfizer which is very positive. We have some people, obviously, looking at it at the highest levels. I'm sure Health Canada is looking into it as we speak. But no, we don't have a sense of ...when it's going to become available to people in Canada, let alone in Ottawa."

Don't relax: OPH

Ottawa Public Health is aiming to get shots "into people's arms" as soon as the city receives them, said Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa's medical officer of health.

Despite this week's heartening news, Etches urged people to keep followingCOVID-19 prevention protocols.

"We have to make it through to the vaccine. And there's a lot of harm to be done if we relax too much," she said.

We have to make it through to the vaccine

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Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawas medical officer of health, says optimistic news about a COVID-19 vaccine may offer hope for residents who are tired of pandemic restrictions, though loosening those measures too early would lead to a rapid rise in cases.

The federal National Advisory Committee on Immunizationhas issued preliminary guidelines on who should get first access to a vaccine including the elderly, those with high-risk medical conditionsand primary health-care providers.

Those guidelines would likely be "standardized across the board," said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis,medical officer of healthfor the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU).

If the Pfizer vaccine were approved, Roumeliotis said EOHU would get the freezers, which arecurrently in significant demand.