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Ontario Primary Care

COVID-19 Vaccination Collaborative (PC-VAC)

Week of February 5, 2021

Purpose

1. To advocate for the voice of primary care and the opportunity for primary care partnership in Ontario's COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
2. To provide consistent, clear, accurate, and timely information to primary care professionals in Ontario.

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Ontario’s Academic Chairs of Family Practice

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About us

We are a coalition of primary care organizations collectively representing 14,000 family doctors, 4,100 nurse practitioners, 220 primary care teams, 28 Indigenous primary care teams, including northern, rural, and remote teams. We are committed to partnering with government and health authorities to develop the infrastructure needed to ensure an efficient, equitable, and effective health system.

Feb 5, 2021

Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council

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How will primary care support public health leadership toward effective and equitable vaccine programs?

February 5th, 2021

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Supporting local planning, partnering with public health, hospitals, other community health leaders for outreach to Phase 1 populations

Building vaccine confidence, counseling on vaccine benefits, outreach to priority recipients and underserved communities

Administering vaccines

Staffing and/or organizing hubs, mobile teams, clinics

Vaccine supply

Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council

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What is good primary care partnership in local vaccine rollout planning?

February 5th, 2021

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Increasing benefit to planning

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Invite to

support vaccine planning

Involve in feedback, vaccination efforts, community outreach, contingencies

Inform of local changes, resources, opportunities to keep their practice populations informed

Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council

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What is needed for a world-class vaccine rollout, with primary care supporting public health leadership?

Supporting health professionals

Human health resources — planning for forthcoming vaccine needs, amidst an overworked health workforce

Simple prioritization framework and communication — allowing proactive priority lists in primary care, taking into account health equity and populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19

Provincial administrative integration — COVAXON, consent, scheduling, screening, notification, clinical workflow, in a provincial approach avoiding each region needing to re-create administrative solutions

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Commitment to partnership

Provincial — primary care continuing to work in united vision with the hospital sector, home and community care, pharmacy, and public health leaders

Local — early and thoughtful engagement informed by best practices (we are developing a forthcoming resource to support local primary care engagement)

February 5th, 2021

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Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council

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In addition to office-based and pharmacy settings, what are potential primary care models for Phase 2 & 3 of vaccine rollout?

Community-tailored programs with a health equity focus

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• Several communities will need tailored responses
• Serving groups who may not otherwise have equitable vaccination rates or protection from COVID-19
• Examples: culturally-tailored sites, workers at outbreak sites, community centres, schools/colleges

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Efficient mass vaccination hubs

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• As hospitals anticipate second wave care needs, enhance hub capacity by community partnerships
• Examples: led by public health, logistically supported by a hospital or Ontario Health Team or larger clinic, delivered by a variety of health professionals, in venues like arenas or convention centres
• Pre-booked, drop-in, drive-through

Mobile teams for priority populations

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• Mobile teams will reach people who have barriers accessing vaccine hubs
• Serving homebound older adults, shelters, & other congregate settings
• Examples: existing community-based mobile testing initiatives and effective congregate setting vaccine strategies

February 5th, 2021

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Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council