Martine Elias, Executive Director |
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Hi everyone,
Well, the days are officially getting longer and there is definitely a lighter feeling in the air. It’s not just because spring is on its way, but because I believe we’ve finally turned the corner on this pandemic and can now see a light at the end of what has been, a very long and dark tunnel.
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Alongside the rest of the world, we’ve been keeping abreast of news regarding vaccination approvals, availability, shipments, roll-out strategies and of course, prioritizations. Every country is tackling this differently, calling in to account variances in population demographics, vulnerability, socioeconomic and health determinants, and more. |
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The strategic direction for the Canadian vaccination program is set not by our federal or provincial politicians, but by our national and provincial health organizations like,
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Our politicians carry out the recommendations of these health agencies which are based on an evaluation of disease risks and outcomes, and protecting our most vulnerable first (for more information, click on this link: “ How Canada chooses groups for early vaccination”. |
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Summary of the preliminary NACI recommendations on key populations for early COVID-19 immunization |
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The provinces do have the authority to devise their own individual roll-out plans, taking into account epidemiology trends, transmission rates and other particularities that address their own realities. As such, we not only see variances in prioritization for immunocompromised folks from province-to-province but in how the roll-out for vaccinations is being conducted. Case in point, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories have a 2-phase approach; Alberta, Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, PEI, Nunavut and the Yukon all have a 3-phase approach; New Brunswick and British Columbia, a 4-phase approach; Manitoba, 6 phases, and Quebec, a 10-phase strategy (yes in Quebec we do things very differently…)! |
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Immunocompromised/immunosuppressed and immunodeficient are terms that represent a huge and diverse group of individuals, all of whom are considered “at risk” populations: those living with cancer, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, rare diseases, blood disorders, organ disease, genetic disorders, asthma…sadly the list goes on. |
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While those of us who fall within the high-risk categories are frustrated and want nothing more than to be considered high-priority to receive the vaccination, it is impossible to determine that the needs of one group is greater than another within different patient populations. |
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To start with, determinants such as age within the most vulnerable populations were stratified in Phase I, and this makes sense. At this point, as challenging as it may be, we need to be patient. Provinces are moving forward with their next priority phases; we need to have faith and confidence in the public health agencies that are setting the priority guidelines.
Within the past week, the entire vaccination landscape has shifted. Canada now has 4 approved vaccines, there’s been a tremendous increase in vaccine deliveries, and conversely in the number of people being inoculated. We know more now about the makeup and efficacity of the vaccines than we did a few months ago, and new and encouraging information is coming daily.
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Our turn will come. And it looks like it’ll be more on the sooner than later end of the spectrum. In the meantime, because of the nature of myeloma (and any other disease you may be battling), we must continue to rely on our resiliency and the measures we’ve been practicing and that have kept us safe from the virus thus far. Maintain social distancing, continue to wear your masks, wash your hands and avoid gathering in groups. |
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Now’s not the time to loosen our belts…we’ve got to all buckle down and ride it out a little while longer.
For those of you who may have already received your first vaccine, or even both doses, please remember to stay vigilant and follow the appropriate direction set out by the provincial and federal health agencies.
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For the sake of your own health and well-being, and for those you love, I invite you to join me in seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. As difficult as it may be, please be patient…we will all get vaccinated!
Cheers,
Martine
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Resources:
For information on the vaccination roll-out plan in your province or territory, please refer to your provincial or territorial website:
Other articles of interest:
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