January 4, 2021 – Memo from Anthony Di Monte, GM of Emergency and Protective Services and Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health
The purpose of this memo is to provide Members of Council with an update on the current planning assumptions respecting the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in our community, as directed by the Province. The City of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health (OPH) are taking a proactive planning approach, outlined below, to ensure readiness as additional vaccines are approved by Health Canada and more doses are received from the Province.
As you read through this document, please keep in mind that there are new developments emerging daily about vaccines and the federal and provincial distribution plans. The information below reflects a moment in time in an ongoing and evolving project. Please rest assured that staff are continually monitoring for updates and aligning our planning efforts in response to new developments.
Jurisdictional Framework
The federal government has taken the lead on the approval and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines in Canada. The federal government has stood up its National Operations Centre through the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), led by Major-General Dany Fortin.
The provincial government receives COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government and is responsible for identifying priority population groups, as it distributes vaccines across Ontario. The Province is also responsible for vaccine tracking and healthcare records management and has established the provincial COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force, led by General (retired) Rick Hillier. The Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) and the Ministry of Health’s Emergency Operations Centre have also been stood up.
OPH will eventually receive vaccines from the Province to administer in accordance with the provincially mandated prioritization groups. The City has established a COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force with partners from OPH and The Ottawa Hospital and has also stood up the municipality’s Emergency Operations Centre in support of these efforts.
Government of Ontario – Read the Plan for Vaccine
Le 4 janvier, 2021 – Mise à jour du Anthony Di Monte, directeur général des Services de protection et d’urgence et Dre Vera Etches, médecin-chef en santé publique
Le but de cette note de service est de fournir aux membres du Conseil une mise à jour des hypothèses de planification actuelles concernant la distribution et l’administration des vaccins contre la COVID-19 dans notre collectivité, selon les directives de la province. La Ville d’Ottawa et Santé publique Ottawa (SPO) adoptent une approche de planification proactive, décrite ci-dessous, afin d’être prêts à mesure que d’autres vaccins sont approuvés par Santé Canada et que la province reçoit des doses supplémentaires.
En lisant ce document, veuillez garder à l’esprit que de nouveaux détails sur les vaccins et les plans de distribution fédéraux et provinciaux apparaissent chaque jour. Les renseignements ci-dessous reflètent un moment dans le temps d’un projet en cours et en évolution. Soyez assurés que le personnel surveille continuellement les mises à jour et harmonise nos efforts de planification en fonction des nouveaux développements.
Cadre des compétences
Le gouvernement fédéral a pris l’initiative de l’approbation et de l’achat des vaccins contre la COVID-19 au Canada. Le gouvernement fédéral a mis en place son Centre national des opérations par l’intermédiaire de l’Agence de la santé publique du Canada (ASPC), dirigée par le major général Dany Fortin.
