It's been a rocky road, but the Grey Bruce Health Unit wants to be ready for the COVID-19 vaccine when it arrives.
“There is an approved vaccine and that’s a light at the end of the tunnel.” said Dr. Ian Arra, medical officer of health for the Grey Bruce Health Unit (GBHU).
With the approved COVID-19 vaccine making its initial appearance across Canada and the province this week, GBHU is also preparing for its rollout.
According to Arra, GBHU has not yet had any direction from the provincial Ministry of Health in regards to when to expect the vaccine locally, but adds, the health unit will be ready when it does receive the call.
“We have put together a proposal and we are communicating to stakeholders,” said Arra.
“If we put our hand up and say we are ready, there may be a specific scenario where other parts of the province are not as ready, and we might have the potential to utilize that competitive advantage and ensure the immunization program starts with us as soon as January,” he continued.
Arra reports that the health unit has been in conversation with Chapman’s Ice Cream in Markdale in regards to acquiring freezer space to store the vaccine upon its arrival.
“We have collaboration with Chapman's Ice Cream and two, ultra-cold freezers will be in Grey-Bruce within seven days,” Arra said.
He adds that having the appropriate freezer space is a key element in demonstrating the region is ready to acquire the vaccine.
“That's probably one of the elements that might delay the process in other places, and so we're working with the ministry to get freezers and to proceed with the distribution system that they would have planned,” Arra said.
While Grey-Bruce waits for the vaccine’s arrival, Arra pleads with the public to keep its guard up and continue to practice COVID-19 safety protocols.
“We're not out of the woods yet. We really are facing a number of critical months going forward, and we need to double down on our efforts,” Arra said. “In simple terms, it's really the three W's: washing hands frequently, watching our distance to two-meters or more, and wearing a mask correctly. These are things that keep us safe.”
