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Here's how, when and where the COVID-19 vaccine will roll out in Newmarket, York Region

The vaccine will be available by appointment only at static, drive-thru and mobile clinics across the region with up to 10,000 doses administered daily, when supply arrives

Editor's Note: As of Feb. 21, York Region public health has updated its vaccination distribution plan to reflect changes made to phase 1 (December to March) by the Ontario government, including the addition of adults aged 80 and older. You can read more here.

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A network of vaccination clinics will be set up across York Region starting in March with the goal of vaccinating 70 per cent of the region's population by September. 

Curiosity has been steadily growing about how exactly Newmarket and the rest of York Region residents will get the shot once the vaccine is made available to more of the public. On Thursday, York Region Public Health revealed its long-anticipated vaccine distribution plan to the regional council.

Where will people get the vaccine?

According to co-chairs of the York Region Vaccine Task Force, Zahra Kassam and Katarina Garpenfeldt, vaccination clinics will open across the region. Anyone who lives or works in York Region will be able to make an appointment to get the vaccine at any of the clinics — provided it is their turn to get it. 

"Our plan includes a flexible hybrid model where we will have static clinics, drive-thru clinics, and mobile clinics. So we are really looking to reach the population through these various avenues. We want to ensure that everyone gets an opportunity to receive the vaccine," said Kassam. 

The vaccination plan calls for the creation of seven large static clinics within municipal buildings across York Region starting in early March, which will have the capacity to administer 6,700 doses of the vaccine per day. The locations are:

  • Ray Twinney Recreation Complex, Newmarket
  • Richmond Green Community Centre, Richmond Hill
  • Aaniin Community Centre, Markham
  • Maple Community Centre, Vaughan
  • York Region Administrative Centre, Newmarket
  • Cornell Community Centre, Markham
  • Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, Vaughan

By April, the health unit hopes to also open a static clinic at the Georgina Ice Palace and a drive-thru clinic at Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan. This will bring capacity above the to the provincially mandated level of 10,000 doses per day.

Several regional councillors voiced concern that their smaller communities will left behind if they don't have static clinics in March. But the public health team assured them that mobile vaccine clinics will be deployed to close any gaps in coverage and to bring the vaccine to anyone who can't travel to get the shot. 

"We will be able to, as needed, set up further locations and mobile clinics to support areas where there is no static, large-scale site," said Garpenfeldt.

"It is difficult to say exactly when that will happen because of vaccine availability, but from an operational perspective, that can happen very quickly."

York Region chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson reinforced the point to some councillors who expressed concern. 

"If we get a million doses, you will all get it in your municipalities, I promise you that. But the province needs to give us the vaccine to administer. We are not trying to cut out Georgina, or East Gwillimbury," he said.

York Region Public Health is also hoping to have the vaccines administered at pharmacies across the region in much the same way as the flu vaccine has been distributed in past years. Discussions with pharmacists are still ongoing, but the hope is to see that come together by April, as well. 

Who will be able to get the vaccine, and when?

If all continues to go as planned and enough vaccine doses are available, April will see Ontario begin moving into phase 2 of the provincial government's vaccine rollout framework. This is when the vaccine will become available for other at-risk groups who have not qualified so far.

According to Garpenfeldt on Thursday, the first priority will be to vaccinate the approximately 369,000 essential workers in York Region.

"We will work mainly through our static clinic sites to provide vaccines to this group. These are workers who support functions that are daily services essential to supporting life, health, public safety and other basic functions," she said.

Next will be the region's 157,000 seniors, likely starting in May with people aged 80 and over and working their way down until everyone over 60 has the vaccine. 

In June, 312,000 members of other at-risk groups should be able to get the vaccine. 

"These people, for example, may be at higher risk because of underlying health conditions," said Garpenfeldt.

If everything goes well and vaccine supply remains steady, the general public from ages 16 to 59 should be able to get the vaccine by July. 

When the adult population is vaccinated, Ontario will move into phase 3, and the vaccination of children could begin. Public health officials told council they are already working on a possible school vaccination program. 

How can people access the vaccine when it is their turn?

All of the clinics in York Region will operate by appointment only. There will be no drop-in clinics. 

All of the available vaccines currently require two doses, three weeks apart, although that may change as single-dose vaccines are approved. 

Exactly how appointments will be scheduled is still being worked on; an issue that has the potential to become a major problem for the vaccination plan. The health unit is still waiting to receive client booking software promised by the Ministry of Health, which will be necessary to keep track of many thousands of appointments every day.

How will people know when it is their turn to make a vaccination appointment?

This is another part of the plan that is still being fleshed out. The medical officer of health, Dr. Karim Kurji, told regional council that they have an extensive communications plan that will try to put out information through as many venues as possible. 

"In general terms, we will be using a variety of different approaches. One would be our website, but not everyone is literate in the use of computers. There will be communications through professional associations and media coverage, as well," said Kurji.

Efforts will be made to reach out directly to minority groups, and to make sure information can be given to people across language barriers. 

The communications strategy also will try to cut down on vaccine hesitancy by combating misinformation and encouraging people to get the shot.

Newmarket Mayor John Taylor argued that the region needs to do everything it can to make sure people know they can get the vaccine.

"Our message should be that we have a plan, the plan is subject to supply, but we want to ensure the public that you will be clearly informed when your categories arrive about how how to access the vaccines," said Taylor.

What are the next steps?

The goal of this plan is to have 70 per cent of York Region's population vaccinated by September, with the remaining 30 per cent made up of people under 16, those with medical conditions or allergies, and people who are simply unwilling to get it at all. 

To reach that goal, York Region will spend the next few weeks working with the province to gauge supplies and timelines, get the booking system in place, and complete as many vaccinations of phase 1 priority groups as possible in anticipation of the move to phase 2.