FNHMA Health Bulletin: Coronavirus (COVID-19) |
Thanks for subscribing to our weekly health and wellness bulletin.
In this issue we're sharing helpful resources, funding opportunities, relevant news stories, COVID data and more from our "Not All Superheroes Wear Capes" campaign! We're extending our deadline for a Marketing and Communications Coordinator.
Looking for funding opportunities? The deadline for PHAC's call for proposals is today!
In this week's edition, learn more about:
- Weekly Virtual Town Hall Update
- Total Number of Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 ISC is aware of as of March 4, 2021
- "Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Becomes 4th To Receive Health Canada Approval"
- "COVID-19 In Indigenous Communities: Over 20,000 Vaccine Doses Administered This Week"
- "More Than 24,000 Indigenous People in 113 B.C. Communities Have Received COVID-19 Vaccine As Phase 2 Begins"
- "Indigenous People Older Than 55 In Sudbury Eligible To Receive COVID-19 Vaccine"
- "Vaccine Rollout For High-Risk Indigenous Community Expands"
- "Indigenous Pharmacist Hopes To Get COVID Vaccine Into Arms Of First Nations, Metis In Sask."
- "Sask. First Nation Works To Manage COVID-19 Cases"
- "Elders In Cape Breton First Nations Communities Receive First Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine"
Scroll down for these stories and more.
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Weekly Virtual Town Hall Update |
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The Next FNHMA Virtual Town Hall Is Scheduled For March 11, 2021!
We hope you'll continue to join us as we discuss and share important information on the pandemic, the vaccine and the issues and opportunities for front line health care workers.
Our guests for March 11 are:
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Judy Sugar, CFNHM - Health Director at Piapot Health Services and former FNHMA President
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Dr. Evan Adams - Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Public Health, Indigenous Services Canada
If you have questions for our guests around the Town Hall topic or anything else COVID-19 related, send them in by email to:
If you missed a Town Hall, you can watch them all. Simply click the button below to view our archived list.
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National and First Nation COVID-19 News |
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Total Number Of Confirmed Cases Of COVID-19 ISC Is Aware Of As Of March 4, 2021 |
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As of March 4, 2021, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) records indicate that there are 21,836 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on First Nations reserves, in 7 regions/provinces. There are 993 hospitalizations, 20,291 recovered cases, and 245 deaths.
For more information on these numbers and for more information on how to keep your family safe, please click here.
Click here to see the full ISC Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Indigenous communities page.
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"Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Becomes 4th To Receive Health Canada Approval"
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"Health Canada has approved the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine in Canada.
Health officials announced the approval at a media briefing this morning in Ottawa.
The vaccine, developed by the U.S. health-care giant's pharmaceutical subsidiary, Janssen Inc., is the fourth to be approved in Canada.
"As with all COVID-19 vaccines, Health Canada authorized the Janssen one after an independent and thorough scientific review for safety, efficacy and quality," said Dr. Supriya Sharma, Health Canada's chief medical adviser.
"After assessing all the data, we concluded there was strong evidence that showed the benefits of this vaccine outweigh the potential risks."
The regulator concluded the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 66.9 per cent and has authorized it for use for adults aged 18 and older.
The approval is expected to significantly boost Canada's vaccine rollout. Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is widely seen as one of the easiest to administer because it requires only one dose and can be stored for long periods of time at regular refrigerator temperatures of 2 C to 8 C."
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"COVID-19 In Indigenous Communities: Over 20,000 Vaccine Doses Administered This Week"
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"Vaccine distribution continues to ramp up in First Nations and Inuit communities across Canada this week.
According to Indigenous Services Canada, vaccination campaigns are underway in 480 First Nations and Inuit communities. A total of 113,179 doses have been administered thus far, as the number of active cases of COVID-19 in Indigenous communities continues to decrease across the country."
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"More Than 24,000 Indigenous People In 113 B.C. Communities Have Received COVID-19 Vaccine As Phase 2 Begins"
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"As the B.C. government enters Phase 2 of its COVID-19 vaccination plan, thousands of Indigenous people in rural and remote communities are celebrating getting their first and second dose of the vaccine.
But it's not without mishaps including what leaders call a lack communication, racism and outstanding questions about vaccinating urban community members.
More than 19,200 First Nations people have received their first dose of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccines and 5,258 have received their second dose. In total, 24,515 Indigenous people in 113 communities have received vaccine."
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"Indigenous People Older Than 55 In Sudbury Eligible To Receive COVID-19 Vaccine"
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"Shkagamik-kwe Health Centre will offer 2,400 COVID-19 vaccines to Indigenous people aged 55 and older on Friday and Saturday.
In all, 13 vaccination stations have been set up at Carmichael Arena in Sudbury and more than 1,000 people have pre-booked their appointment.
“The Indigenous population as a whole has been identified as a high-risk population for vaccinations,” said Angela Recollet, CEO of CEO of Shkagamik-kwe Health Centre.
“The population that we’re serving is the urban Indigenous population, which includes the Métis First Nation and Inuit people.”"
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"Vaccine Rollout For High-Risk Indigenous Community Expands"
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"The campaign to get the COVID-19 vaccine into the arms of Ottawa's Indigenous community has been so successful, it's ramping up with a move to a larger facility and expanding eligibility to adults 50 years and older.
The St-Laurent Complex at 525 Côté St. is equipped to give the jab to 300 people a day, compared to the original vaccination site at the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health on Montreal Road, which was vaccinating a daily maximum of 90 patients.
The new vaccine clinic saw its first patients on Monday and will continue to be staffed by Indigenous health workers."
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"Indigenous Pharmacist Hopes To Get COVID Vaccine Into Arms Of First Nations, Metis In Sask." |
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"A few days ago, Saskatoon’s Jaris Swidrovich was all smiles as he tweeted: “It has been another busy month working on all the necessary learning and training, but I am now fully certified to administer all vaccines and other injectable medications – including the #COVID19 vaccine!”
Swidrovich is the only Indigenous person in Canada to hold a Doctorate of Pharmacy. He works mainly in hospitals in drug therapy intervention. He’s also an assistant professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Saskatchewan.
He says injection training is an option for all pharmacists in the province. Given the pandemic and the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination clinics that will be up and running across the province, he wanted to be part of that. He says there was a lot of work involved.
“There was a number of online modules that were required. I think it was almost 40 hours of online learning, and then a CPR/first aid training had to be taken again, and then the in-person injection training,” he explained."
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"Sask. First Nation Works To Manage COVID-19 Cases" |
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"Piapot First Nation is trying to keep COVID-19 cases in check. There’s a warning at the entrance not to enter if you’re experiencing symptoms and billboards throughout the community promote hand washing and masks.
“Our leadership was adamant about having some sort of communications campaign out on the reserve to educate our members about COVID and what they could do to protect themselves,” said communications officer Kristin Francis.
The community of almost 700 has had 88 cases so far. Vaccinations are next but there is some suspicion amongst elders.
“Both historically and even currently and very recently we have examples of mistreatment of Indigenous peoples in the health system,” said pharmacist Jaris Swidrovich. “This is something that Black and Indigenous people of colour have known for a very long time, but seems to now be on the social consciousness of the masses.”"
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"Elders In Cape Breton First Nations Communities Receive First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine"
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"Elders in Membertou First Nation began streaming through the doors of the Membertou Entertainment Centre Tuesday morning, physically distanced of course, to receive their first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Senator Dan Christmas was the first to roll up his sleeves for the injection as part of the community's vaccine rollout. He says some people think the vaccine is for themselves but really, it's for others.
"If you become infected and then begin to transmit the virus, you hurt not just yourself, but your family and your community, and the elders, so I tell people, get the vaccine."
The federal government has identified Indigenous communities among groups that are particularly vulnerable to the virus, and has prioritized those communities as part of the Canadian immunization efforts. According to the most recent data, more than 100,000 doses have been administered in First Nations communities at a rate six times higher than the rest of the country."
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Not All Superheroes Wear Capes - Share Your Pictures! |
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Not all superheroes wear capes indeed!
We want to acknowledge the Kebaowek Health & Wellness Center Team who hosted their Mass Vaccination Clinic on Feb 9-11. Way to go!
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Pictured below (clockwise):
David McLaren, Director of Health & Social Services AND President of the FNHMA;
Jennifer Presseault, Clinical Programs Manager; and
Tina Chevrier, Community Wellness Programs Manager, all got their vaccinations at Kebaowek's Mass Vaccination Clinic.
Do you have photos you'd like to share with us?
Feel free to send them to us, tag us or use the hashtag:
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David McLaren, Director of Health & Social Services and FNHMA President
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Tina Chevrier, Community Wellness Programs Manager
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Jennifer Presseault, Clinical Programs Manager
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📸 REQUEST FOR PHOTOS! 📸
Not all superheroes wear capes. It's more clear than ever during these extraordinary times.
And we want to acknowledge our superhero health care workers who are on the frontline battling COVID-19 to keep our communities safe.
Here's how:
1) Tag us/share a photo of yourself or a teammate in action or getting vaccinated.
That's it!
And we'll share the photos on our social channels!
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Tool Kit For Health Care Providers
**COVID-19 Vaccination Information Resources**
It's normal that Canadians may have questions about COVID-19 vaccines. Health care providers are uniquely positioned to answer questions and provide information.
Available for Download Now!
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COVID-19 Communications Toolkit - Free Download - UPDATE 2
**The Communications Toolkit has been updated as of March 2, 2021. Check below for the latest version.**
The pandemic has touched many Indigenous communities across the country and people need information to help them manage in this ever-changing environment. With the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, people have renewed hope but understandably also have questions on how a vaccine will impact them and their families.
To help you answer some of these questions, Indigenous Services Canada has prepared a toolkit that contains a variety of communication resources and information for you to share with your community. Each community is unique in the way it shares information with its members. This toolkit can serve as a guide to create messages tailored to your community.
This is the first version of the communications toolkit, please look for updated versions in the coming weeks as the situation continues to evolve.
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What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine for Canada
Working to bring Canadians a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread and reduce the impact of infectious diseases, whether it's seasonal flu or childhood infections. A safe and effective vaccine(s) for COVID-19 will protect us against the novel coronavirus and will be an important step to safely resume normal life in Canada and around the world. The Government of Canada is working on all possible fronts to secure access to safe and effective vaccines and related supplies for Canadians. Here is what Canadians need to know about a future COVID-19 vaccine.
Download the full PDF about what you need to know about the vaccine here.
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FNHMA Pandemic Planning Tool Free Download |
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COVID-19 App Update Available!
The Canada COVID-19 app has an update available. If you don’t have auto-updates enabled on your device, remember to update your app manually!
Get the app today.
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Marketing And Communications Coordinator Posting Extended! |
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***We are extending the deadline to March 25, 2021***
Communication for any organization is important - and during a pandemic - the importance is amplified. We are looking for a passionate and committed communications specialist to join the FNHMA family!
Is it you? Are you looking for an amazing team and place to work? Or, do you know someone?
We're currently hiring for a "Marketing and Communications Coordinator"
Deadline to submit your application is: March 25/21 @ 4pm EST
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We're Hiring! Director Of Programs |
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Director of Programs, FNHMA
Are you passionate about increasing health leadership capacity in First Nations communities?
Are you passionate about making a difference?
Then we'd love for you to join our family!
The Role:
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director of Programs, FNHMA has the overall responsibility for the design and delivery of the programs and services offered to FNHMA members.
Posting deadline is March 26, 2021 @ 5pm ET.
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Safe Space - A Community Of Facts For A World Of Trust |
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1 in 10 health care encounters involve patient harm. Despite this high number, few patients or providers ever report these events to the health system (a study from the Netherlands, estimates that only 3.6% of these events actually get reported).
The risks that go along with reporting are real.
Patients know that retaliation, being labelled “difficult” and increased hostility when receiving health services can all occur as a result of raising concerns. Providers who report can be at risk of losing their employment, negatively impacting their relationships with colleagues and disciplinary action.
Safe Space originated in the health crises of Canadian Indigenous communities where patients and providers face this reality everyday.
Safe Space is not about shame and blame. We’re about patterns and solutions. Safe Space's mission is to support patients and providers to share safely, be heard and be supported navigating and impacting healthcare systems.
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Public Service Announcements About COVID-19 Vaccines |
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Radio public service announcements about COVID-19 are available in various Indigenous languages.
There are a total of 17 languages available with 2 scripts to choose from.
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COVID-19 Vaccines And Indigenous Peoples |
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The Government of Canada is working to secure safe and effective vaccines to prevent COVID-19. This is key to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and resuming normal life.
This page has resources COVID-19 vaccines from various sources around the country.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation And Fraud |
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It's understandable that some inaccurate information has been circulating to certain communities about the vaccine that includes false and distorted information about potential side effects.
The spread of misinformation can have real consequences and can distort people's behaviours and decision-making.
It is important that everyone obtain information from trusted sources. That includes federal, provincial and territorial health authorities, community health centres, nursing stations or local healthcare providers. The federal government encourages people to consider the source of information before spreading or sharing articles or facts.
Vaccination is a choice. Vaccines used in Canada must be approved by Health Canada and the COVID-19 vaccine is held to the same safety standards as other vaccines to make sure it is safe and effective.
For information on COVID-19 Fraud and Scams, click here.
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Public Health Agency of Canada Is Looking For Designated Screening Officers, Health Assessment Officers-Paramedics/LPNs/RPNs And Registered Nurses |
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The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and is urgently looking for additional support to help drive the response.
PHAC is looking for Designated Screening Officers, Health Assessment Officers-Paramedics/LPNs/RPNs and Registered Nurses across the country.
The deadline for the postings below is March 31, 2021.
To learn more, click the links below:
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Job Opportunity - COVID-19 Immunizers |
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Job Opportunity – COVID-19 Immunizers
Are you interested in a meaningful job that makes a difference in the lives of Indigenous Peoples and northern residents?
Indigenous Services Canada (FNIHB) is looking for:
Nurses / Doctors / Nurse Practitioners / Registered Psychiatric Nurses / Registered Practical Nurses / Licensed Practical Nurses / Pharmacists / Paramedics / Dentists / Veterinarians / Medical Laboratory Technicians / other health professionals
who are licensed to practice, including to administer COVID-19 vaccinations, in the following areas:
• Alberta
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba
• Ontario
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Prince Edward Island
• Newfoundland and Labrador
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2021 Census Of Population Preparation |
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Census of Population:
Statistics Canada is preparing for the 2021 Census of Population. In this particular Census cycle there are some changes due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic. Some of the changes are that communities will be asked to complete the Census questionnaire online, rather than having someone go door to door. The Census will begin in May 2021.
Statistics Canada prioritizes recruiting locally in each community to assist with community collection efforts. It is essential to have local hires as there is no travel to communities due to the Pandemic. Starting in January 2021 an online tool will be made available for candidates to apply online or if they do not have access to internet or a computer, they will be able to call the call center and a recruitment agent will complete the application online for them.
Employment for Census collection is now open. To learn more and find out about the jobs and rates of pay, click here.
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Maad’ookiing Mshkiki – #SharingMedicine - Virtual Hub |
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Maad’ookiing Mshkiki – #SharingMedicine is a virtual hub that provides culturally relevant and trauma-informed information about #COVID19 vaccinations for First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
Access the resources today: http://bit.ly/Sharing-Medicine
Rationale and Background:
Public Health authorities have begun a national roll-out of two COVID-19 vaccinations (Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19; Moderna COVID-19) to prioritized populations, including segments of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Despite the prioritization of Indigenous people, there may be barriers to the uptake of COVID -19 vaccinations across our communities for numerous complex and context-specific reasons. One of the barriers identified by our communities and by service providers, decision-makers, Elders and Knowledge Keepers is a lack of culturally safe and relevant educational materials about vaccination. It is critical to address this need urgently due to the rising rates of covid within some of our communities as well as the ongoing barriers related to a lack of cultural safety in the healthcare system.
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Accessing Additional Funding |
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Public Health Agency Of Canada - Call For Proposals |
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Funding Opportunity - Call for Proposals
***The deadline is TODAY!***
"Immunization Partnership Fund: Increasing confidence, acceptance and uptake of Covid-19 vaccines"
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) invites eligible organizations to submit a letter of intent (LOI) for time-limited projects to increase Canadians' confidence, acceptance and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.
This Call for Proposals is a two-step process. The first step is the submission of a LOI, which provides an overview of the proposed project. Applicants whose LOIs meet all eligibility criteria and best fit the objectives of this funding opportunity will be invited to move on to the second step by submitting a full proposal.
LOIs must be submitted by March 5, 2021.
Applications must be submitted using PHAC's Immunization Partnership Fund LOI Template.
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Indigenous Services Canada - New Financial Support |
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Indigenous Services Canada has a list of financial supports for:
- Indigenous individuals
- Indigenous students
- Indigenous organizations and communities
- Indigenous businesses
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A number of Partner and National Indigenous Organizations are and have been producing webinars in order to continue supporting First Nations in a changing landscape.
To view more please follow the links below and be directed to that organization's webinar page.
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Supports & Regularly Updated Resources |
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The following organizations have resources to combat COVID-19. These resources are regularly updated and are available to view at any time.
Please click below to be directed to more information.
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Indigenous Health Today houses many different resources and provides recent news updates via email.
Please subscribe to their health brief as a valued FNHMA Partner.
Click the link to subscribe today!
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Please note that service hours for InfoPoint have been updated.
InfoPoint will now be available from 9am until 5pm EDT, Monday to Friday.
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Previous Health Bulletins |
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If you missed or would like to see any of our weekly health bulletins, we have included a link to all of our previous volumes.
Click Here to see all previous Health and Wellness Bulletins.
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