ZOOMER SQUAD ON ONTARIO’S VACCINE ROLLOUT CHALLENGES

Today’s discussion is about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout especially here in Ontario. The good news is that it is happening – but in a really scattershot, helter skelter fashion that I believe is still disadvantaging those most at risk – older people. The authorities are worried because while only half of the city’s over 80 population has received a shot, the booking from that age group are tapering off. If you’re between 75 and 80 you can book at a mass vaccination centre as of today but your appointment will likely be a few weeks out. As of today, anyone 60 and over can get an astraZeneca shot in a pharmacy- but you have to find a drug store that still has supply and appointments.

Libby Znaimer is joined by the Zoomer Squad’s David Cravit, Vice President of Zoomer Media and Chief Marketing Officer at CARP, Bill VanGorder, Interim Chief Policy Officer at CARP and Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine.

SEGMENT 2: PHARMACY PANEL ON THE VACCINE ROLLOUT

As we’ve been discussing, pharmacies and doctors’ offices are also vaccinating patients. Some of the drug stores that were in the pilot project still have supply. There were 330 pharmacies in the pilot by the end of this month, 700 will be in the program and that will scale up to 1500 by the end of April. Others are waiting. Let’s get a sense of what’s happening on the ground.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dean Miller, President and CEO of Whole Health Pharmacy Partners who took part in the pharmacy vaccination effort from the beginning and Justin Bates who is the CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA).