Dear Hamilton Community,

The below letter was distributed to the Hamilton Vaccine Readiness Network, as well as Hamilton Public Health on April 5th. Still, although Black and racialized groups have been identified as a high risk group for COVID-19, although the Federal government has urged the prioritization of Black and racialized groups for vaccination, although we are in phase 2 where Black and other racialized population have been identified for prioritization for vaccination, and although we have been informed that municipalities have the power to develop their own plans for vaccination, there has been no change to the booking system to allow Black and racialized people to book vaccination appointments for their COVID-19 vaccination.

Please join us and sign below, in support of the urgent call to add Black and other racialized groups to the booking system for COVID-19 vaccinations, in Hamilton and across Ontario.

Sincerely,

Ameil J. Joseph MSW, RSW, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

School of Social Work

McMaster University

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

April 5, 2021

Dear Hamilton Vaccine Readiness Network, and Hamilton Public Health,

I joined the Hamilton Vaccine Readiness Network in December of 2020 upon an invitation from allies in the community to share my knowledge, experience and expertise. I was told that this network of health leaders had been called together to share information, perspectives and analysis with Hamilton Public Health to inform how the COVID-19 vaccination program might better attend to marginalized groups, and too often overlooked contexts and conditions. I participated in several meetings with the network and also joined a subgroup that met with the network leaders to speak to issues of systemic racism, outreach to marginalized groups and local contexts. The network has done some important work, including helping to develop the public information about vaccines and vaccinations, as well as helping to redraft plans and priorities to try to more adequately address systemic inequities.

In the larger group, when I spoke to issues of systemic racism, I felt that there was an acknowledgment of these issues and how they have and continue to shape the health circumstances and outcomes of racialized groups. Some of the network members, myself included, spoke about people with disabilities, mental health needs, as also impacted by the historical and contemporary contexts of systemic inequity that render these group vulnerable to harm in that continues in this pandemic. We also talked about essential workers, and teachers as in need of prioritization.

We spoke about the need to collect demographic data and information on social determinants of health (housing, income, education, healthcare, etc.) to continue to attend to how, where, when, and why we might be advancing historical inequities through the current work. We were told that Hamilton Public Health stopped collecting this data. We were told that the inadequacy of the provincial reporting system was the reason. We were told that there was not yet enough vaccine to change the priorities and the power to do so was with the province.

In the subgroup, we suggested mapping cases, so that everyone might see, based on the data we do have, the inequities that are impacting racialized groups via neighborhoods, income, etc. so as to add some empirical representation to the context that we had previously raised and that had been shared publicly and widely. That context being the disproportionate ways COVID-19 was impacting racialized people. This is not new knowledge. We know that we do not need more data to prove systemic racism is a reality. We do however need to collect data to trace how and where it operates so that we can take action to eliminate it in every facet of our lives and work.

The maps were prepared and shared with the subgroup, we provided feedback on the language being used, how a discussion of this data necessitates an adequate introduction that names how data on racialized groups has been used to suggest biological racial inferiority rather than to appreciate systemic racism etc. The presentation was amended and presented to the entire network and to Hamilton City Council.

Publicly, an announcement was shared from the federal government that racialized groups should be prioritized. We were informed that municipalities now had the authority to develop their own plans based on local knowledge, and we were informed that the province agreed to the collection of demographic data and social determinants of health data.

Again, at a network meeting issues were raised about systemic racism, the need for prioritization, and outreach. An ambassador program for racialized groups was established, some mobile units, as well as a group for Black health leaders. We were told that the preamble that was required to be read for the collection of social determinant data was lengthy (therefore somehow a burden). Racialized groups were not moved into a priority group for vaccination. We shared articles, raised the issues again. We talked about how some people might be hesitant due to historical mistreatment and discrimination. But, what does ‘hesitancy' about vaccines even mean when the groups we are referring to have not been added to the list of prioritized groups for vaccination?

Now, as we are into the third wave of this pandemic, what more needs to be done to add the racialized groups we know are being and will be adversely impacted immediately to the list of prioritized groups for vaccination?

Many of us have been in this situation before. Racialized people try to inform decision makers in as many ways as we can that our lives are important. We cannot claim that we recognize systemic racism and then when given this knowledge and charged with the responsibility to address it, we knowingly choose to perpetuate it. How much more data do you need, how many stories do you need to hear, what types of maps can we ask for, how many committees and subgroups do we need to raise this in, how many legislative or administrative or bureaucratic excuses do we have to reveal as false to compel action? The answer is simple, the time to act is long past due.

There is no reason, no excuse for leaving racialized groups off the priority list for vaccination when we know these groups are disproportionately impacted due to pervasive and persistent historical and contemporary contexts of inequity.

I implore you once again to reconsider this request to immediately add racialized people to the current priority vaccination list before more lives are unnecessarily lost.


Sincerely,
 

Ameil J. Joseph, MSW, RSW, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, School of Social Work

Co-Signed by:
1-Tom Cooper-Director, Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction
2-Kojo Damptey-Executive director, Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion
3-Claire Bodkin, Marcie McIlveen, Tim O'Shea, Nisha Kansal, Lisa Nussey, Jill Wiwcharuk-Co-organizers, Hamilton Social Medicine Response Team
4-Sarah Jama-Lead Organizer, Disability Justice Network of Ontario
5-Lyndon George-Patient Advocate
6-Michael Abraham-Initiative Lead - The SPACE Youth Centre
7-Lisa Nussey-Keeping Six, Hamilton Harm Reduction Action League, Co-Coordinator
8-Don Seymour-Executive Director, Wesley
9-Kerry Le Clair and Ryan McGreal-Co-chairs, Environment Hamilton Board of Directors
10-Caitlin Craven-on behalf of Management Committee, SACHA (Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton and Area)
11-Kristin Roe, MAd.Ed., MSW-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead at the Ontario Association of Children's Aid
12-Sashaina Singh-Knowledge Broker, McMaster Office of Community Engagement
13-Mark Anderson
14-Rodrigo Narro Pérez
15-Denise Maraj
16-Michelle L. Dion-Associate Professor, McMaster University
17-Deanna Rylott
18-Michelle Tom
19-Lisa Kabesh
20-Angel Najjar
21-Tim O'Shea MD, FRCPC
22-CA Klassen
23-Barbara Howe
24-Emma Cole
25-Craig Burley
26-Ian Borsuk
27-Carol Gaudet
28-Anna Roberts
29-Nathalie Bouchard
30-Amber smith
31-Patricia Deane
32-Luisa Caruso
33-Douglas Harrison
34-Maddie Brockbank
35-Joanna Wilson
36-Jay Maxwell
37-Matt Jelly
38-Madeleine Luvisa
39-Glen Carroll
40-Heather Barkley
41-Olivia Watkin-McClurg
42-Chantelle Trindade
43-Karen Schulman Dupuis
44-Ani Chénier
45-Jeremy Freiburger-Cobalt Connects, Executive Director
46-Jessica Bonilla-Damptey
47-Courtney Parker
48-Liesl Thomas
49-Nageeb Twal
50-Jaylynn Rose
51-Jamie Smith
52-Kendra Cheesemam
53-Graham Crawford
54-Karl Andrus-Community Benefits Manager - HCBN
55-Michael Egan
56-Aggie Kwiatkowski
57-Kathleen Quinn
58-Rebecca Steckle
59-Viv Saunders
60-Emma Donahue
61-Gurinder Sandhu
62-Leigh Kirschner
63-Katharine (Katie) King
64-Philippa French
65-Matt Meier
66-Laura Katz
67-Miriam Sager
68-Amy Angelo
69-Miranda Crocket
70-Bee Millar
71-Jennie Vengris-McMaster University - Associate Professor
72-Chelsea Cox-Hamilton Bike Share and our Everyone Rides Initiative (Executive Director)
73-Vilma Rossi
74-Elisa Grunwald
75-Leanne Grieves
76-Dan Jelly
77-Jessica Brousseau
78-James S. Quinn
79-Will Allen
80-Neil Armstrong
81-Ben O'Neil
82-Nina Tran
83-Layla El-Dakhakhni
84-Melissa Crawford
85-Chriselle Vaz
86-Moriyah Kleiman
87-Paul Mason
88-Parsa Beheshti
89-James S. Quinn-Hamilton 350 committee, Member of the steering committee of H350
90-Chelsea Miller
91-Jill Wiwcharuk
92-Isabella Daley
93-Danielle Landry
94-Yohana Otite
95-Andrea Purnell-Equity Network of Dundas, Founder
96-Teagan Miller
97-Cameron Kroetsch
98-Katie Sullivan
99-Kim Madden
100-Elizabeth Obermeyer
101-Emily Armstrong
102-Angela Orasch
103-Ibrahim Mohammad
104-Lisa Noble
105-Sameh Helmy
106-Christine Russon
107-Deborah Devine
108-Dave Heidebrecht
109-Don McLean
110-Mai Nguyen Huu
111-Kevin Kim
112-Tyler Murray
113-Faith Ogunkoya
114-Matthew Thiessen
115-Kasey Moss
116-Shannon Balfour
117-Arij Elmi, MSW, RSW, PhD(c)
118-Juby Lee
119-Danielle Kaardal, MD Candidate 2021
120-Christopher French
121-Emily Nguyen
122-Michelle Murdock
123-Roba Dekamo
124-Shirleen Datt-VP External CUPE 3906
125-Kerry Wade
126-Christopher Schotsman
127-Casey Myers
128-Everett Vander Horst
129-Kathryn Chan
130-Denise Beaumont
131-Charlotte McEwen
132-Elizabeth Nabi
133-Bethel Samson-1. Student Representative Association - Health Science Caucus Leader
2. Black BHSc Association - Events Coordinator
134-Anne French
135-Michelle kakar
136-Sonya Wonder
137-Ian Jones
138-Jana Balakumaran
139-Maria Maqsood
140-Adib Shamsuddin
141-Beatrix Bérczi
142-Jennifer Wesson
143-Meredith Vanstone
144-Kira McDermid
145-Philippa Carter
146-Tom Shea
147-Chris Fairweather
148-Tanya Ritchie
150-David Wonder
151-Sarah Kurchak
152-Sarah Bayliss
153-Sidney Melko
154-Maggie Blair
155-Eshan Merali
156-Maria del Carmen Sarmiento
157-Yotakahron Jonathan
158-Hayley Clin
159-Cora Oliver
160-Quinten Clarke
161-Edward E. Seymour
162-Briony Lago
163-Mike Wood-Hamilton Tenants In Unity
164-Christine Brooks-Cappadocia
165-Kathy Bresnahan
166-Michael Hutchings
167-Shae Jim
168-Nicki Munro
169-Melinda Gough
170-Davin Hannibal
171-Jasmine Kamtirey
172-Syd Hielema
173-Bernie Wiebenga
174-Matthew LaRose
175-Lauren Glegg
176-Christa Vander Horst
177-Megan Smith
178-Nicole Knibb
179-CUPE 3906
180-Hanna Tervanotko
181-Agnes Orban
182-Carey Moolji
183-Societies
184-Janet Lebeau
185-Janice Floyd
186-Jacqueline Cantar-Community Fridges HamOnt, Lead Organizer
187-Sarah Adjekum MSW RSW
188-Lauren Cook-Chaimowitz-MD PGY5 Emergency Medicine
189-Dan Machiela
190-Lyndon George
191-Kika Otiono
192-Jessica Scott
193-Jennifer Spleit-Landry
194-Natasha Snelgrove MD FRCPC
195-River Holland-Valade
196-Mark Dyer
197-Veronica Dyer
198-Marin Hudson
199-Kim Dej
200-Loren King
201-Rowa Mohamed
202-Mackenzie Stoness
203-Madeleine Verhovsek
204-Urszula Sitarz
205-Kelsey Sutcliffe
206-Peter Bulthuis
207-Miranda Jurilj
208-Atif Kubursi
209-Joshua Austin
210-Scott Neigh
211-Oliver Knutton
212-Sean Burak
213-Nik Redman
214-Don Wells
215-Anmoldeep Kaur
216-Monica Sadik
217-Allison Dinnendahl
218-Brian Kierans
219-Arianne Di Nardo
220-Liam Midzain-Gobin
221-Anne Savage
222-Caroline Dunton
223-Alisha Coe
224-John Neary
225-Lauren Beals
226-Tara McCready, PhD MBA
227-Rachel Weldrick
228-Robin Lennox-MD, CCFP
229-Allyn Walsh
230-Alice Cavanagh
231-Tim Carr
232-Elizabeth DiEmanuele
233-Ruchi Vijh
234-Kassia Johnson
235-Tia Rogers-Jarrell
236-Teresa Chan, MD, FRCPC, MHPE, DRCPSC
237-Sara Alavian, MD
238-Simon Oczkowski
239-Katie Tsuji
240-Christine King
241-Jamie Stuckless
242-Peggy McGillicuddy
243-Wendy Ye
244-Teresa Michell
245-Emma Herrington, MD
246-Dr. Jennifer Tang
247-Raj Grewal
248-Ben Forestell
249-Aadil Bharwani
250-Miriam Novick
251-Harvey Feit
252-Cindy Hann
253-Sameer Sharif
254-Menaka Pai, MSc MD FRCPC
255-Sophiya Garasia
256-Lorissa Sengara
257-Jiya Chaudhary
258-Hargun Grewal
259-Alyssa Schuurman, MD PGY-2
260-Stephen Singh, MD CCFP(PC)
261-Sarah Dawson
262-Candace Oghide
262-Mary Ellen Campbell
263-Aisha Wilks-PhD Student, English and Cultural Studies, McMaster University
264-Nancy Vu
265-Cait MacLennan Penman-Registered Midwife
266-Sydney Valentino
267-Amy Sevigny
268-Sarah Mah, MD FRCSC
269-Dana Yates
270-Isabelle Ellis
271-Ruth Cameron
272-Peter Squire
273-Susan Kalles
274-Shelley Tremain-BIOPOLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
275-Giuliana Guarna
276-Ariel Bader-Shamai
277-Tristan VanderBent
278-Ruby Dawn
279-Nick Marquis
280-Gabrielle Peters-Co-founder, Dignity Denied
281-Daniel Thompson-Blum
282-Melissa Govindaraju MD
283-Ash Nong
284-Christine Hudspeth
285-Srikripa Krishna Prasad
286-Christine Hudspeth
287-Jennifer Coon
288-Mallika Makkar
289-Jen Matthews
290-Rachel Loewith
291-Meagan Doyle-MD FRCPC
292-Lynda Lukasik
293-Sun Han
294-Anna Abdelmessih
295-Celeste Licorish
296-Christine Yachouh
297-Lindsey Zhang
298-Alexa Pandolfi
299-Beth Marquis
300-Stephanie Young
301-Victoria Chan
302-Tanya Collins
303-Louise Concepcion
304-Laiya Carayannopoulos
305-Madeline Heleno
306-Matthew Molinaro
307-Margaret Dao
308-Arianne Cohen
309-Emma Adamson-De Luca
310-Juliet Daniel
311-Siobhan Callaghan
312-Jesse Dorey
313-Sofia Palma Florido
314-Jeremy Sewnauth
315-Brad Walchuk
316-Derek Jenkins
317-Nick Buffo
318-Mila Ray-Daniels
319-Kelsea McCready
320-Mila Ray-Daniels
321-Arden Hagedorn
322-Liz Jackson
323-Kate Rath-Wilson
324-Amanda Whalen
325-Dr. Andrew Roddick
326-Nicole Buchanan MD
327-Kayla Perna
328-Alexa Badal-Badalian
329-Kelly Iggers
330-Sofija Rans MD CCFP
331-Bronwyn Friesen
332-Gabriela Roberts
333-Lourdes Toro
334-Joy Mudjar
335-Caeli Paris
336-Terry Marttinen
337-Hannah Seo
338-Sarah Aldereai
339-Medina Jones
340-Randy Kay
341-Emma Fox
342-Sierra Paquette-Struger
343-Blessing Ojembe
344-Arianna Vandenburg
345-Sydney Lewis
346-Isabel Nussbaum
347-Madison Gill
348-Justin Webb
349-Charlotte Bright
350-Elaine Fenner
351-Amirthan Sothivannan
352-Sabrina Chen
353-Paige Shier
354-Celine Lajoie
355-Stephanie Ross-Associate Professor and Director, School of Labour Studies, McMaster University
356-Melissa Kimber, Assistant Professor, McMaster University
357-Joyce Munro
358-Lindsey Thomson
359-Miranda Clayton
360-Madeline Dri
361-Tara Marshall
361-Ilse Kramer
362-Agnes Kramer-Hamstra  PhD
363-Andy Kramer
364-Meagan Tamburro
365-Serena Viola
366-Naomi Ives Peak-MSW
367-Sean Woodley
368-Joanna Gale
369-Kaitlin Debicki
370-Katherine Braedley
371-Roshney Kurian
372-Sara Weber
373-Ana-Maria Gligor
374-Josh Sebastian
375-Aleena Joseph
376-George Bokma
377-Laura Howden
378-Mary Chu
379-Alix Warnell
380-Nisha Kansal
381-Mary Andrade
382-Chanelle Thomas
383-Jacqueline Vincent, MD-Psychiatry Resident Physician
384-Susan Salah
385-Fiona Mu
386-Asiana Elma
387-Alissa Daoust
388-Rya Buckley
389-Inna Berditchevskaia
390-Andrea Cole
391-Sarrah Lal-Head Injury Rehabilitation Ontario | Chair, Board of Directors
392-Rachel Dass
393-Alyssa DeAngelis
394-Jill OBrien
395-Kailey Cutillo
396-Carly Eisbrenner
397-Maggie Vincent, Resident Physician, McMaster
398-Aleena Joseph
399-Jennifer Long
400-Ron Ballentine
401-Stacey Marjerrison
402-Darina Litvina
403-Ravneet Sidhu
404-Terri Bedminster-Refuge - Newcomer Health
405-Alicia Smith
406-Hugh Tye-Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, Executive Director
407-Danica Evering
408-Ian Smith
409-Heather Mackenzie, MSW RSW
410-Brent Smith
411-Teena mathew
412-Melissa Deutsch
413-Danielle Tolomeo
414-Asia Snowdon
415-Nicole Carlucci
416-Alix Warnell
417-Sahra Soudi
418-Defund Hamilton Police Services (Organizer)
419-Terry Cooke-Hamilton Community Foundation - President & CEO
420-Alix MacLean
421-Sarah Murphy
422-Rebeca Aguillon
423-Christina Vani
424-Doreen Johnson
425-Stacey Ritz
426-Maroussia Ahmed
427-Calvin Prowse-MSU Maccess, Maccess Coordinator
428-Sam Gill
429-Susan Wortman
430-Maria Sunil
431-Delaney Brogan
432-Nick Graat
433-Georgia Kennedy
434-Paul Bakker -Social Impact Squared
435-Kristy korevaar
436-Jamie Mercer
437-Kailey Turner
438-Holly Silenzi
439-Emma Barrette
440-Em Noordam
441-Jane Mulkewich
442-Solange Theriault
443-Will Rowe-Kyle's Place, Chair
444-Holly Silenzi
445-Nafisa Hussain
446-Clara Lu
447-Kim Martin-Social Planning and Research Council of Hamilton
448-Diana Filc
449-Pamela Fletcher
450-Nadia DeRosa
451-Alyssa Rademeyer
452-Diego Lopes
453-Phoebe Underhill
454-Wes Chiasson
455-Mallory Greene
456-Nick de Koning-Catholic Teachers of Hamilton-Wentworth
457-Aleda O’Connor
458-Crystal Mark-Chair, Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion
459-Andrea Buttars
460-Reg Varghese
461-Laura Mae Lindo-Chair, Ontario NDP Black Caucus, Critic, Anti-Racism, Critic, Colleges and Universities "
462-Shireen Ahmed
463-Melissa Ficzere
464-Vanitha E. Ethiraju
465-Sharoni Mitra
466-Cindy-Ann Marchan
467-Dave Rosborough
468-Shubana Aslam
469-Vanitha E. Ethiraju
470-Auriol Marasco
471-Nadine Stewart
472-Claudia Wong
473-Sherly Kyorkis
474-Maja Terzic
475-Sienna DiGiuseppe
476-Dave Hauch
477-Tara Kardas
478-Kirstin Webb
479-Michaelann George
480-Linzey corridon
481-Sheila Sammon
482-Carol Pacey
483-Sienna Warecki
484-Alexandra Weinberger
485-Michelle Poirier
486-Olive Wahoush-School of Nursing, McMaster University  
487-Adrienne Lee
488-Dave Hauch
489-Alex Johnstone
490-Doug Oliver
491-Grace Evans
492-Alana Sealey
493-Shabeeh Ahmad
494-Jonah Halili
495-Mary Anne McDougall
496-Gary Warner
497-Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
498-Jessica Claus
499-Jennifer Hompoth
500-Jenny Bonesteel
501-Salvatore (Sal) Bagazzoli
502-Emunah Woolf
503-Anne Prat-Kalonji
504-Sara Schafrick, BSW
505-Janelle Jordan
506-Mike Belmore
507-Amanda Sim
508-Jessica Gut
509-Jen Hsieh
510-Danielle Hitchcock-Welsh
511-Seema Narula
512-Gay Yuyitung
513-Mary Porter
514-Jacqui Oakley
515-Katherine Hesson-Bolton
516-Izabela Wiater-Protas
517-Annerie van Gemerden
518-Mary Louise Pigott
519-Julie Yan
520-Lyla Miklos