Thread by @mr_lois_lane

📮❓Last week, the province earmarked select areas for priority access to COVID-19 vaccines, saying that people who live in postal codes identified as “hot spots” are at an above-average risk from COVID-19. Then came the questions. [1/12]

https://twitter.com/TheAgenda/status/1382776322485800965

On what basis had these postal codes been selected? Why had some others with higher case numbers not received priority status? Those questions have been difficult to answer in #HamOnt and #Niagara, because the local public-health units themselves were not consulted. [2/12]

“I think it’d be helpful for us to understand in greater detail how they were selected so we could better explain why these are the hot-spot neighbourhoods. I think that’s the part that’s a bit frustrating,” says Niagara’s acting medical officer of health, @mustafahirji. [3/12]

When I asked whether Hamilton had been consulted about the postal-code prioritization, a spokesperson for the public-health unit simply responded “no.” From the April 13 revision of the vaccine plan in Ontario, here's the page on hot spots. [4/12]

The Ministry of Health did not respond to a question I asked about whether it had consulted with public-health units, but sent a statement from the premier's office addressing how the hot spots were chosen. An image of that part of my article is attached here. [5/12]

Hirji said he would rank L2G, the provincially identified code in Niagara as maybe the third-hardest hit. “When you look at severe illness, the hospitalizations and deaths, it is quite a bit lower than the top one and maybe a little bit above average.” [6/12]

In Hamilton, the province identified two postal codes — L9C and L8W. On April 9, public health confirmed it was designating three more (L8L, L8N, L9K) and expanding eligibility for people within them age 50 and up. [7/12] thespec.com/news/hamilton-…

The new postal-code areas, medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said at a media briefing on April 12, were based on where the city sees transmission happening now, whereas the province picked areas that already have good vaccination rates. [8/12]

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: “Those community members 50+ residing in locally identified hot spots (L8L, L8N, L9K) must book a vaccine appointment through City of Hamilton Public Health Services’ telephone booking line,” a public-health spokesperson told me via email. [9/12]

Hirji says his team is considering adding new postal codes but is not sure how helpful it would be to lower the vaccination threshold by five years in certain areas when the PHU is already targeting people in settings at high risk for outbreaks. [10/12]

“We’ve really seen ... that we are okay to deviate a little from strictly following the provincial prioritization to incorporate local risks and local knowledge — as long as we’re making sure we’re getting vaccines into people’s arms as quickly as we can,” he says. [11/12]

Read the full story here: tvo.org/article/no-con…
[12/12]

PS: For more context, check out the excellent reporting I link to in the article, including:
thespec.com/news/hamilton-…

stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-r…

cbc.ca/news/canada/to…