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Happy Spring! & COVID-19 Vaccine rollout updates.
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King Clinic Inc.
Mar 21, 2021
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Dear patients as most of you are aware by now about the change in the eligibility criteria for COVID vaccine in York region (age 75), we like to brief everyone withe eligibility and provide links for all the active sites now or by Monday March 22nd.
The following individuals are now eligible to book an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine:
- York Region residents born in 1946 or earlier.
- Highest, Very High and High Priority Health Care Workers who live OR work in York Region
- Staff, essential caregivers and any residents that have not yet received a first dose in long-term care homes, high-risk retirement homes and First Nations elder care homes
- Alternative level of care patients in hospitals who have a confirmed admission to a long-term care home, retirement home or other congregate care home for seniors
- Staff, residents and caregivers in retirement homes and other congregate care settings for seniors
- Indigenous adults and adult members of their households
- Adults with a chronic condition receiving home care services and who live in York Region (appropriate documentation will be required)
Clinics appointments are not available for any other age or priority group at this time. Do not try to book an appointment if you do not meet the eligibility. Vaccines will be available for the new eligible priority group at these locations:
Select pharmacies in Kingston, Toronto and Windsor are now distributing the AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine to residents between the age of 60 to 64 years of age (born in 1961). To find a pharmacy near you, visit Ontario.ca/pharmacycovidvaccine. Pharmacies have been identified as part of York Region’s COVID-19 Vaccine Plan; as supply increases. And finally york region residents, especially King township residents, stay tuned for one more COVID-19 immunization centre (the first Partner led centre in York Region) in King Township! Our Mayor, Mr. Steve Pellegrini and our Fire Chief, Mr. James Wall are working hard in collaboration with the Public Health to bring this centre into action ASAP! King City Medical Associates like to thank both of them and all the staff of King Township for their tremendous efforts and dedication to make that dream true!King City Medical will share with you the detailed information once everything is finalized. King City Medical Associates- King Clinic Inc. March 21, 2021.
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Updates from York Region re COVID vaccine.
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King Clinic Inc.
Mar 15, 2021
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Dear patients, please watch this video (link is at the bottom) from York Region’s Associate Medical Officer of Health provides an update on COVID-19 in York Region on Mar 15, 2021. Summary: 1- More appointments available today. 2- One more centre opened in Maple Community Centre effective today (now we have 6 centres administering vaccines and more to come in April). 3- Change the platform for booking to become a provincial platform. 4- Change the interval between the two doses of COVID vaccines (Moderna, or Pfizer) to 4 months is safe and you are 92% protected two weeks after the first dose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA4wBGjpJhY
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Question and Answers COVID vaccine: CDC guidelines
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King Clinic Inc.
Mar 01, 2021
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Dear patients who had or are having COVID now, regarding the question of when to get the COVID vaccine, please see the answer here with answers for other questions, in this summary from CDC website. And also this link for recommendations for special population by Health Canada. Q&A Vaccine IndicationsCan the COVID-19 vaccine be given to people infected with COVID-19? Yes. Vaccination should be offered to eligible persons regardless of whether they have a history of prior symptomatic or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Data from clinical trials indicate that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can be safely administered in persons with evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccination of persons with known current SARS-CoV-2 infection should be deferred until the person has recovered from acute illness (if the person had symptoms) and until criteria (see below) have been met for them to discontinue isolation. This recommendation applies to any vaccine, including the first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, if a person was infected within the last 90 days, they may defer vaccination until after a 90-day period or if they were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma within the last 90 days vaccination should be deferred.
Persons with COVID-19 who have symptoms and were directed to care for themselves at home may discontinue isolation under the following conditions:
At least 10 days* have passed since symptom onset and At least 24 hours have passed since the resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and Other symptoms have improved. *A limited number of persons with severe illness may produce replication-competent virus beyond 10 days, which may warrant extending the duration of isolation for up to 20 days after symptom onset. Consider consultation with infection control experts. See Discontinuation of transmission-based Precautions and Disposition of Patients with COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings (Interim Guidance).
Persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 who never develop COVID-19 symptoms may discontinue isolation and other precautions 10 days after the date of their first positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. For severely immunocompromised patients who were asymptomatic throughout their infection, Transmission-Based Precautions may be discontinued when at least 10 days and up to 20 days have passed since the date of their first positive viral diagnostic test. Consider consultation with infectious diseases specialists and infection control experts. Can the COVID vaccine be given to patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome? Can the CVOID vaccine be given to people with Bell's palsy? Yes. Persons with a history of Bell’s palsy may receive COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a contraindication to vaccination. Cases of Bell’s palsy were reported following vaccination in participants in both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines clinical trials. However, the FDA does not consider these to be above the frequency expected in the general population and has not concluded that these cases were causally related to vaccination. Post-authorization safety surveillance will be important to further assess any possible causal association. In the absence of such evidence, persons with a history of Bell’s palsy may receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a contraindication to vaccination. Any occurrence of Bell’s palsy following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination should be reported to VAERS. Can COVID vaccine be given to pregnant ladies? Yes. A pregnant person who is part of a group recommended to receive COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., healthcare personnel) may choose to be vaccinated. There are currently few data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant or lactating people. When making a decision, you and your patient should consider the - level of COVID-19 community transmission
- patient’s personal risk of contracting COVID-19
- risks of COVID-19 to the patient and potential risks to the fetus
- efficacy of the vaccine
- side effects of the vaccine
- lack of data about the vaccine during pregnancy
Can COVID vaccine be given to breastfeeding ladies? Yes. A lactating person who is part of a group recommended to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., healthcare personnel may choose to be vaccinated. There are no data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in lactating people or the effects of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines on breastfed infant or milk production/excretion. mRNA vaccines are not thought to be a risk to the breastfeeding infant. Can the COVID vaccine be given to people treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma?
Yes, but vaccination should be deferred for at least 90 days after they received treatment. Based on the estimated half-life of monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma as part of COVID-19 treatment, as well as evidence suggesting that reinfection is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection, delaying vaccination for 90 days is a precautionary measure until additional information becomes available, to avoid interference of the antibody treatment with vaccine-induced immune responses. Can the COVID vaccine be given to immunocompromised patients? Immunocompromised individuals may receive COVID-19 vaccination if they have no contraindications to vaccination. However, they should be counseled about the - unknown vaccine safety profile and effectiveness in immunocompromised populations
- potential for reduced immune responses
- need to continue to follow all current guidance to protect themselves against COVID-19
For persons who were vaccinated for COVID-19 while they were undergoing chemotherapy or treatment with other immunosuppressive drugs and who have since regained their immune competence, re-vaccination is not recommended at this time. Recommendations on re-vaccination or additional doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may be updated as additional information is available. Patients on chemotherapy and cancer treatment, can they be immunized? Immunocompromised individuals may receive COVID-19 vaccination if they have no contraindications to vaccination. However, they should be counseled about the - unknown vaccine safety profile and effectiveness in immunocompromised populations
- the potential for reduced immune responses
- need to continue to follow all current guidance to protect themselves against COVID-19
Either of the currently authorized mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can be used when indicated; the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) does not state a product preference. For persons who were vaccinated for COVID-19 while they were undergoing chemotherapy or treatment with other immunosuppressive drugs and who have since regained their immune competence, re-vaccination is not recommended at this time. Recommendations on re-vaccination or additional doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may be updated as additional information is available.
Hope that will answer some of your questions.
Doctors at King City Medical Associates - King Clinic Inc. March 1st, 2021.
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