PSW at Parkview Nursing Centre is first person in the city to get COVID-19 vaccine

The first COVID-19 vaccinations were injected in Hamilton on Wednesday afternoon, health officials say, marking a "cautiously optimistic" day for the city.

Around 30 long-term care workers recieved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, said Bruce Squires, president of McMaster Children's Hospital and co-chair of Hamilton's vaccine logistics planning table.

There was a standing ovation following the first vaccination, he said.

Hamilton received about 6,000 doses of the vaccine in its first shipment, said Squires, which is enough to immunize 3,000 people in the next several weeks. 

Other long-term care employees will receive the vaccine in the coming days, said Michelle Baird, co-chair of Hamilton's vaccine logistics planning table and the City's director of healthy and safe communities.

'A light at the end'

Members of the media were not invited to attend the first immunization, however health officials held a virtual media briefing after the initial jab. Hamilton's initial vaccine clinics are not open to the public, and a Hamilton Health Sciences spokesperson would not disclose where the clinic took place.

This is a "cautiously optimistic" day for the city, said Baird.

"This moment is a light at the end of what has been a long phase for many of us."

Hamilton has seen rising case counts in recent months, and recently moved into lockdown. Hamilton Public Health Services (HPHS) recorded 132 more COVID-19 cases and six more deaths in the city on Wednesday.

The first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was Merdina Nangle-Palmer, a personal support worker and chief steward at Parkview Nursing Centre.

Vaccinations for outbreak homes starting next week

The first staff to be immunized were from Parkview Nursing Centre, the Wellington Retirement Home, St. Peter's Residence at Chedoke, Hamilton Continuing Care, and Baywoods Place Long Term Care Home.

Employees at long-term care homes that currently have a COVID-19 outbreak will be vaccinated starting next week, Baird said. She said they did not want staff in outbreak settings mixing with other long-term care employees.

Baird said the initial homes were selected based on Ontario's prioritization criteria, as well as staff availability.

Squires said they don't yet know when Hamilton will receive the next shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine,

Health Canada has approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for use in Canada, with 168,000 doses expected to arrive by the end of the year. However, Baird said they do not yet have a date for when Hamilton will receive the Moderna vaccine, or how much the city will get.

Hamilton's vaccine priority list includes residents and staff in long-term care homes, healthcare workers, and adults in Indigenous communities and people who receive home care. The majority of Hamilton residents could be vaccinated by late 2021.

"Even though this is a very exciting time in the community, this is not a time to let our guard down," said Baird.

She said it is "vital" to continue following public health measures: don't gather with people outside your household, maintain physical distance, wear a mask, frequently wash hands and stay home if sick, Baird said.

"This is an exciting day for all of us," said Squires.

However, "we do have a long way to go before we can breathe a collective sigh of relief."