Ottawa family doctor struggling to secure COVID-19 vaccine doses for third ‘Jabapalooza’
Posted May 17, 2021 08:36:22 PM.
After two successful pop-up COVID-19 vaccination events, an Ottawa family doctor is struggling to secure the supply she needs for a third.
Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth is hoping to hold the next 'Jabapalooza' on Saturday, May 29, if she is able to secure more Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses.
The doctor has administered over 800 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in total across the two events but now requires a mRNA vaccines due to first doses of AstraZeneca being put on hold.
However, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has told the doctor it is unsure if and when local primary care providers will be receiving any more vaccines.
“We have already reached out to our own patients, everyone ages 18 to 39, and put them on a schedule so that we can have a third Jabapalooza on May 29,” Dr. Kaplan-Myrth told CityNews. “Obviously, we can't do that if we don't have vaccine.”
Maybe today will be the day that family docs receive mRNA #CovidVaccine for our patients (or at least word on when that will happen). Still waiting, @OttawaHealth. People want another #Jabapalooza. Also, send us a sign about when we can give AZ 2nds. Please, let us PLAN, Ontario.
— Dr Nili Kaplan-Myrth, MD, PhD, CCFP (@nilikm) May 17, 2021
The Ottawa Footy Sevens recreational soccer league is letting the doctor use its field for the next pop-up, after doing so for the second Jabapalooza, while volunteers are also at the ready.
At the very least, the doctor wants to be able to inoculate her own patients since she feels that would speed up the overall vaccine rollout and even help those without a family doctor get faster access to a COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Kaplan-Myrth says she might just give up if she is unable to secure the needed vaccine by the end of the May.
“If I don't get any Moderna or Pfizer, either one, by the end of the month and I see that pharmacies and public health continuing on as if we don't exist, I'm going to stop begging.”
Dear Ontarians,
My kids phoned all our patients to book them directly for their #CovidVaccine. Yet here we are, ready to vaccinate, and public health unit says there’s no vaccine for family docs. Maybe they didn’t like the community’s #Jabapalooza smiles? I’m done with begging.— Dr Nili Kaplan-Myrth, MD, PhD, CCFP (@nilikm) May 17, 2021
Dr. Kaplan-Myrth thinks the overall handling of the vaccine rollout has been 'disrespectful' toward primary care workers. She says family doctors are already well-equipped to administer vaccinations of many kinds, with the COVID-19 jab being no exception.
