We must all protect ourselves, our communities, and our healthcare system

TORONTO, Aug. 11, 2021 /CNW/ - The Alliance for Healthier Communities, the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario, and the Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association strongly encourage all Ontarians to protect themselves and others against COVID-19 by getting the vaccine and call on the government to implement vaccine certificates.

Science shows that the Delta variant is highly contagious, even with only one dose of the vaccine. It is now the dominant strain in Ontario, and with only 72% of the eligible population fully vaccinated – or 63% of the total population – the risk of transmission is still too high.

Public Health Ontario reports that unvaccinated people account for over 95% of COVID-19 cases reported since December 2020, and that 93% of those who have severe cases and are hospitalized are unvaccinated. Experts at the Ontario Science Table say a fourth wave is likely to happen, and it will be a pandemic of the unvaccinated. People who are vaccinated can also possibly pick up and carry the virus to others if this is not brought under control.

We must reach herd immunity at 90% to return to any kind of new normal, to contain the spread of the virus, and to prevent new variants from developing – including one for which the vaccine may be less effective.

We especially encourage healthcare providers, teachers, and all other staff in education and health care to be vaccinated. They work on the frontlines in higher-risk environments with vulnerable individuals every day, such as seniors with chronic conditions and children who cannot yet be vaccinated. It is critical that they protect themselves, the people for whom they provide care and education, and the general population to whom transmission can further spread.

To lower the risk of transmission and help prevent future lockdowns, we support vaccine certificates for admission to non-essential services, such as movie theatres, gyms, and indoor dining, as well as to interprovincial and international travel. As we are seeing in Quebec and other jurisdictions, this is an effective initiative to increase uptake of the vaccine as people start looking forward to some sense of normalcy.

We call on the Ontario government to roll-out electronic and paper vaccine certificates and to continue to communicate through media, employers, and community leaders that those who need to be vaccinated will not be financially impacted to receive and recover from the vaccine.

It will be critical to ensure equitable access to vaccinations for vaccine certificates to be fair and effective. This includes educating people in culturally safe ways and ensuring easy access to the shots by addressing systemic barriers, like paid sick leave and language barriers. Any vaccine certificate system must also have an anti-oppressive and anti-racist lens. This can be done by ensuring all communities are clear about how vaccine certificates work and how to get them, and by establishing a conflict resolution process.

Primary care providers and community health organizations and ambassadors are there to help anyone who is hesitant about being vaccinated. They are trusted and know their patients and communities best. We encourage people reach out to their family physician, nurse practitioner, or primary care team with questions or concerns. They can listen and answer health-related questions with compassion and care. People who do not have a physician or nurse practitioner could call their pharmacist or another trusted healthcare provider.

We can get through this pandemic together if we prioritise our own health and the health of others in the communities in which we live.

The Alliance for Healthier Communities is the voice of a vibrant network of community-governed primary health care organizations. Alliance members serve diverse communities across the province, and they are rooted in the communities they serve.

The Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) is a not-for-profit association that provides leadership to promote high-quality, comprehensive, well-integrated interprofessional primary care for the benefit of all Ontarians. We are an advocate and resource for family health teams, nurse practitioner-led clinics, and other interprofessional models.

The Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association (NPLCA) is the voice of nurse practitioner-led clinics (NPLCs) across Ontario. Nurse practitioners are the lead primary care providers of NPLC's inter-professional team of health care providers and support staff.  Nurse practitioners and NPLCs improve the quality of care through enhanced health promotion, disease prevention, primary mental health care, and chronic disease management, as well as improve care coordination and navigation of the health care system.

SOURCE The Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario

Media contact for interview requests, comments, or inquiries: Beth MacKinnon, Senior Associate, Policy and Advocacy, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario, Email: [email protected], Phone: [phone] x1201