OTTAWA -- The first shipment of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine arrived Ottawa today, with the first health care workers providing care in long-term care homes rolling up their sleeves to get the shot on Tuesday.
Three-thousand doses of COVID-19 vaccine were delivered to the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus, enough to vaccinate 1,500 people. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted Sunday evening that the COVID-19 vaccines had arrived in Canada.
"Tuesday is V-Day, Vaccination Day, and in Toronto and in Ottawa we'll start with a vaccination of 1,500 people from those 3,000 doses and the reason we are doing it that way is to absolutely ensure that we have the second dose," said Retired Canadian Armed Forces Gen. Rick Hillier, during an interview with CTV News Channel on Sunday.
The first inoculations in Ontario were given in Toronto on Monday.
Here is what we know about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Ottawa this week.
3,000 DOSES OF COVID-19 VACCINE
Three-thousand doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in Ottawa today.
Ottawa is one of 14 distribution sites across Canada that will receive the 30,000 initial doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Three-thousand doses will be shipped to the University Health Network in Toronto.
"Ottawa has been selected in part to test and validate provincial distribution networks, as well as in recognition of the challenges the region has faced with certain long-term care home outbreaks," said Premier Doug Ford last Thursday.
FIRST IN LINE FOR THE COVID-19 VACCINE
The 3,000 doses of COVID-19 arriving in Ottawa will be enough to vaccinate 1,500 Ottawa residents starting this week. Health care workers who are providing care in long-term care homes and other high-risk settings are first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gen. Hillier told CTV News Channel that hospitals would hold the second dose for health care workers to come back and receive it 21 days after the initial shot..
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says Ottawa Public Health will contact the health care works who will be vaccinated to set up an appointment.
"There will be one site, one location and the individuals who are going to be tested will be in touch with public health, who will coordinate the vaccines on a priority basis – obviously, those areas that have had hot spots," said Watson.
"They'll be expected to go to the site at the Civic Hospital, because the vaccine can not be moved from post to post. This will be easiest way to get those long-term care workers, PSWs to the site, vaccinated and be sent on their way. They'll return for the second vaccine weeks later."
WHEN WILL THE FIRST PERSON RECEIVE THE COVID-19 VACCINE IN OTTAWA?
The first health care workers will receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Ontario government officials have said the first doses of the vaccine will be administered on Tuesday, Dec. 15. There is no word on how long it will take to administer the initial 1,500 doses at the Ottawa Hospital.
VACCINATION SPOT AT THE OTTAWA HOSPITAL
Health care workers from long-term care homes and other high-risk settings in Ottawa will need to go to the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Mayor Watson notes the Ottawa Hospital has the freezers required to store the COVID-19 vaccine, and the vaccine cannot be moved to long-term care homes.
"The reality is there are restrictions that we have to follow with respect to moving them because of the storage capacity," said Watson.
"We have the fridges available at the Civic Campus and we have a relatively modest number of doses that will be used in the Ottawa Hospital, so for the time being we feel it's better to have the employees who are going to get vaccinated to come to the site."
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be stored at minus 70 degrees.
NEXT SHIPMENT OF COVID-19 VACCINE?
The Ontario government said Friday that it expects to receive 90,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses in December.
By the end of January, Ontario anticipates over 20 hospitals across Ontario will be administering the Pfizer vaccine.
Ontario also expects 35,000 to 85,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to arrive, once approved by Health Canada.
