Resources

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 |  March 8, 2021

Early Impact of Ontario’s COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout on Long-Term Care Home Residents and Health Care Workers

The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to Ontario’s long-term care (LTC) homes has substantially reduced SARS-CoV-2 infections, COVID-19 hospitalizations, and COVID-19 deaths among LTC residents and health care workers. Completing and maximizing the uptake of the full COVID-19 vaccine series according to recommended schedules will maximize the safety and well-being of Ontario’s LTC residents and staff.
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 |  March 5, 2021

Behavioural Science Principles for Supporting COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence and Uptake Among Ontario Health Care Workers

Health Care Workers (HCWs) are the backbone of Ontario’s COVID-19 pandemic response and are a key vaccination priority group. About 80% of Ontario HCWs intend to receive COVID-19 vaccine. Challenges include the logistics of delivering the vaccine to this mobile and diverse group and improving vaccine confidence in the remaining 20%. These challenges can be overcome by allaying safety concerns and highlighting personal benefits; tailoring messages to factors associated with lower intention (e.g. age, gender, ethnicity and work setting); employing trusted leaders to set the tone and peers to build social norms; and leveraging public health organizations and health institutions as existing channels of influence.
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 |  March 1, 2021

Tocilizumab for Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

Tocilizumab, an interleukin (IL-6) receptor antagonist, reduces the need for mechanical ventilation, progression to mechanical ventilation, and the combined endpoint of progression to mechanical ventilation or death in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, with no increase in significant adverse effects. Tocilizumab should be used in moderately ill hospitalized patients (i.e., requiring supplemental oxygen via nasal prongs) and critically ill hospitalized patients (i.e., requiring oxygen via venturi mask, high-flow nasal cannula, non-invasive mechanical ventilation, invasive mechanical ventilation, or extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)) with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 who are on recommended doses of dexamethasone (or another dose-equivalent corticosteroid) and are within 14 days of hospital admission or within 14 days of a new COVID-19 diagnosis if acquired in a healthcare setting. Moderately ill patients should have additional evidence of systemic inflammation, defined as a C-reactive protein (CRP) of 75 mg/L or higher, and have evidence of disease progression (i.e., increasing oxygen or ventilatory requirements) while on dexamethasone or another dose-equivalent corticosteroid for treatment of COVID-19.
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 |  February 26, 2021

A Strategy for the Mass Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines in Ontario Based on Age and Neighbourhood

SARS-CoV-2 infection has taken a disproportionate toll on Ontario older adults, and on residents of disadvantaged and racialized urban neighbourhoods throughout the province. Prioritizing and implementing vaccine distribution for Ontarians based on both age and neighbourhood of residence could ensure that those at the highest risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and hospitalization, ICU admission or death from COVID-19 will be among the first to receive vaccines. This vaccine strategy will maximize the prevention of deaths and long-term morbidity, and best maintain health care system capacity by reducing hospitalizations and ICU admissions due to COVID-19 as compared with a strategy that prioritizes vaccination based on age alone (Figure 1). The strategy would not interfere with the ongoing and future vaccination of any specific high-risk population, as it is intended to guide the mass distribution of vaccines to the general Ontario population.
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 |  February 1, 2021

Lessons Learned from Israel’s Vaccine Rollout

As Ontario expands access to the COVID-19 vaccine beyond the Phase 1 priority populations, strategic planning and execution of mass vaccine rollout will have a significant impact on the health and safety of Ontario’s 14.5 million residents. There are six key elements of Israel’s successful COVID-19 vaccine campaign that can be readily applied to Ontario to expedite and expand the province’s vaccine rollout strategy: a simple vaccine prioritization process; modification to the transport, storage, and distribution of the vaccines; effective communication to promote vaccine confidence; decentralization of vaccination sites; centralized organization through Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) using a fully integrated information technology (IT) system in a universal health care system; and the engagement of community-based personnel, infrastructure, and resources.
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