Retirement Home Residents in Oxford County Receive First Dose of the Vaccine

Wednesday, 3 February 2021 15:28

Over 170 residents of retirement homes residents in the Southwestern Public Health region which includes Oxford County have been given the first dose of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine.

OXFORD COUNTY - Over 170 residents of retirement homes residents in the Southwestern Public Health region which includes Oxford County have been given the first dose of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine.

Local Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock made the announcement today.

"Today I am very happy to announce we have reached another milestone in protection those most at risk. On January 29th, the Health Unit completed all first dose vaccinations for eligible residents in high risk retirement homes across the region. More than 170 doses of the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine were administered over 4 days. Thank you to everyone with these retirement homes who work so hard to get this critical vaccination work completed."

Long Term Care and Retirement home residents will receive a second dose later this month. Dr. Lock says Ontario is currently reviewing who will be eligible next under its COVID-19 vaccination strategy.

“Each day we are protecting those most at-risk, and we are encouraged that even more individuals will soon be eligible for vaccination. Right now is a good time to review credible resources about this vaccine so that you are prepared to make informed decisions when it is your turn.”

Manager of the Health Unit's COVID-19 Immunization Task Force Jaime Fletcher says it took a lot of hard work to get this done.

“I cannot stress enough how valuable our system partners are in helping us administer these vaccinations so quickly. These residents were a priority for the whole province, and for our local communities. It’s an incredible feeling to know we are saving lives and protecting health with each dose administered in these settings."