Frequently Asked Questions on the City's COVID vaccine program
The following questions were those most frequently asked by residents and Members of Council from January 4, 2021 to present. These FAQs will be updated regularly as new details emerge from all levels of government.
1. When will people in Ottawa start getting vaccinated against COVID-19?
a. The Ottawa Hospital administered the city’s first COVID-19 vaccine on December 15, 2020. Since then, thousands of vaccines have been administered in Ottawa to higher-risk populations and those that care for them in accordance with the Province’s phased approach to vaccine rollout.
2. Who is determining who can get a COVID-19 vaccine and when?
a. The Government of Canada is responsible for approval and procurement of COVID-19 vaccine supply. The Government of Ontario is responsible for the distribution of these vaccines across the province. The Ethical Framework for COVID-19 vaccine distribution guides how the provincial government prioritizes and distributes vaccines across Ontario.
3. When will I be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine, and who comes next in Ottawa?
a. The Province has started to roll out a three-phased vaccine distribution implementation plan as follows:
Phase 1 – Starting December 2020: Limited doses of the vaccine available for residents, essential caregivers, staff and other employees of long-term care homes, retirements homes, and other congregate settings caring for seniors at high-risk; eligible health care workers in accordance with the Ministry of Health guidance; first Nation communities and urban Indigenous populations, and adult chronic home care recipients.
Phase 2 – Starting March 2021: Increasing stock of vaccines, available to older adults, beginning with those 80 and older, people who live and work in high-risk congregate settings (for example, shelters, community living), frontline essential workers, including first responders, teachers, food processing workers, individuals with high-risk chronic conditions and their caregivers, and other populations and communities who are at greater COVID-19 risk.
Phase 3 – Starting August 2021: Vaccines available widely across Ontario for anyone in the general population who wants to be immunized.
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