Concerns have been raised about some people from other jurisdictions coming to Chatham-Kent to get their COVID vaccine, especially in the midst of a provincial stay-at-home order.
Some residents have expressed frustration, primarily with trying to book at McTavish Pharmacy in Dresden, that some people from Sarnia, London, and other areas outside of CK managed to get their shots first.
However, Chatham-Kent’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Colby isn’t terribly concerned.
“There have been a number of people from Chatham-Kent that have gone to pharmacies in other jurisdictions as well, so there’s give and take on that policy.” Dr. Colby explains. “The province has made it very clear that this is not to be limited ot people only from your jurisdiction.”
Dr. Colby says the more people that can get vaccinated, no matter where they’re from, the better.
“We’re simply following the guidelines, and I would say that in the past we’ve had a number of outbreaks here in Chatham-Kent where the origin leads back to neighbouring jurisdictions. It is in our interest that everybody gets vaccinated, we don’t exist in isolation.”
There are just three pharmacies able to offer the AstraZeneca vaccine in Chatham-Kent, all of whom have a waiting list backlog.