Peel’s Community Mass Vaccination Plan is underway

Taking a partnership approach to deliver vaccinations safely, widely and quickly to as many residents as possible who can and want to be vaccinated.

The Region of Peel, together with health system and community partners, is ramping up its preparation for a mass roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations in Peel. A framework for the Peel’s Community Mass Vaccination Plan, presented at Regional Council today, provides high-level details on how the vaccine will be administered to Peel residents in the coming months.

A full plan will be submitted to the Province on Jan. 20, 2021.

Peel’s Community Mass Vaccination Plan follows the Ontario government’s three-phase approach and uses a made-in-Peel prioritization framework to bring the needs of those most at risk to the forefront. Additional local guiding principles are being developed and work is underway with priority groups to understand the best ways to support them to be vaccinated. The Plan is designed for flexibility and scalability.

Phase 1 vaccinations to date

  • At this time, the Region of Peel is working with system partners to complete vaccination of Phase 1 priority groups as directed by the provincial government. This includes long-term care home staff and residents, hospital workers, essential caregivers and other employees of congregate living settings that provide care for seniors (for example long term care and retirement homes).
  • As of January 14, 2021, with the help of our system partners, we have administered nearly 15,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
  • We are on track to complete vaccinating all of Peel’s long-term care homes and high-risk retirement homes before the week is through.
  • That is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our team with our many partners, all while continuing to support our broader pandemic response to help keep people safe.

The current provincial target is to vaccinate all Ontarians who want and can have the vaccination by early August 2021.

Vaccine clinics

Community clinics will be one of the ways to vaccinate Peel residents quickly, safely and efficiently. These clinics will begin in February 2021 and will be phased in across the region.

In February 2021, the first community clinics will be launched at 7120 Hurontario Street in Mississauga and 10 Peel Centre Drive in Brampton for healthcare workers. With the lessons learned from these clinics, three additional community clinics in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga will be launched between February and April 2021. These clinics will first serve priority groups as identified in provincial directives and then expand to serve the broader community as supply becomes more readily available.

Their locations are:

  • Century Gardens Community Centre, 340 Vodden Street East, Brampton
  • Caledon East Community Complex, 6215 Old Church Road, Caledon East
  • River Grove Community Centre, 5800 River Grove Avenue, Mississauga

It is anticipated that these sites will be able to vaccinate thousands of people per day, as supplies allow, over as many hours as possible. Additional community clinics will be set up once vaccine becomes readily available.

Planning is also underway for other types of clinics such as drive-thru and mobile clinics as well as other fixed sites within the community and for engaging primary care providers and pharmacies in vaccine delivery.

Partnerships and communications

Partnerships are key to the success of the mass vaccination efforts in Peel. Peel Community Mass Vaccination Plan is being developed in consultation with health care system and community partners including local hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, Ontario Health Teams, primary care partners, pharmacies and others. These partnerships are expected to grow over time.

The vaccine roll-out will be supported by a robust communication plan, including multilingual public information and education campaigns to reach every resident in Peel. Public Health measures, testing and “core four” behaviour communications will be refreshed and continue. Peel will engage with specific community groups such as ethnic, multi-faith, seniors, and many others. Communications will focus on information about the vaccines, correcting misinformation, addressing vaccine hesitancy and how and where to access it.

Media availability

For interviews with Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel’s Medical Officer of Health, please email Ashleigh Hawkins.

 Visit peelregion.ca for regular updates on priority groups and clinic locations and follow @regionofpeel on social media for news on COVID-19 and vaccine availability.

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