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COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus)


Note: The COVID-19 situation is continuously evolving; health care professionals can subscribe here to receive updates.

Click here to see the most recent Public Health Alerts for health care professionals

PHAC COVID-19 Vaccine: Toolkit for Health Care Providers

COVID-19 Vaccine - Relevant Information and Planning Resources:

Primary care providers can access Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (infant monovalent, pediatric monovalent, pediatric bivalent, adult monovalent and adult bivalent) and Moderna COVID-19 (infant monovalent, adult monovalent and adult bivalent) vaccines through public health to administer in their practice. These vaccines are mRNA vaccines with similar efficacy and safety profiles. 

The following steps are required to provide COVID-19 vaccine and public health is here to support you in onboarding with this process:

  • Have staff trained and given access to COVAX on system (the provincial documentation system for all COVID-19 vaccine)
  • Store, handle and administer the vaccine in accordance with the Ministry COVID-19 Vaccine Administration guidance document 
  • Sign off on a standard agreement with public health
  • Order and pick up vaccine as per usual ordering process at your local PHU office

Clinical supplies (needles, alcohol swabs, cotton, PPE, sharps containers) will be provided with each vaccine order.

If you are interested in accessing COVID-19 vaccine to store, handle and administer in your practice, please email [email protected] indicating your interest and someone will connect with you to review next steps.

Vaccine Administration Procedures for Healthcare Professionals - Note for Healthcare Professionals:

 

  1. This video includes some stock video clips and images that may not demonstrate ideal technique. Intramuscular vaccine administration should be at a 90 degree angle and subcutaneous vaccine administration should be at a 45 degree angle. Proper landmarking and administration techniques can be reviewed here.

  2. Throughout this video, gloves are frequently worn with vaccine administration. It should be noted that glove use during immunization is not routinely recommended unless the skin on the vaccine provider's hands is not intact or when administering Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) or smallpox vaccine. If gloves are worn, they should be changed between vaccine recipients. (Source: Canadian Immunization Guide)

  3. At ~7:56, the video states that co-administration of COVID vaccines can only be done for adults. This has now been expanded to include children.

     

     

 

Link to COVID-19 Vaccine Order Form

Link to HCP COVID-19 Vaccine pre-filled syringe for pick up requests

Link to Pfizer Vaccine Reconstitution and Prep

 

COVID-19 Vaccinations for children 5-11 years of age

NACI statement on the use of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses in children 5 to 11 years of age and concurrent vaccine administration

Position statement from the Canadian Paediatric Society: COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents

Kids Health First Information on COVID-19 vaccination for children and youth for Health and Social Service Providers.

Letter to Patients (Template for HCP use, shared by the Ontario College of Family Physicians (Dr. Tara Kiran and Dr. Noah Ivers) and adapted for local use 

 

Clinical Resources on Pain Management

Canadian Paediatric Society Position Statement: Managing pain and distress in children undergoing brief diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (Podcast) (2019)

Help Eliminate Pain in Kids and Adults Resources for Health Care Providers

Managing pain and fear: Playing your CARDs to improve the vaccination experience, CCDR 47(1) - Canada.ca

 

Patient Resources

SMDHU.org COVID-19 Getting Vaccinated

 

Clinical Resources

COVID-19 Guidance

NACI: Guidance on an additional COVID-19 booster dose in the spring of 2023 for individuals at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19

 

Vaccine Prep Resources:

 

The 4A Model - Minimal Contact COVID-19 Vaccine Intervention

 

Patients with a severe allergy to a component of mRNA vaccine (i.e. PEG)

 

A primary care referral to an allergist is required when there is an allergy concern related to an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The allergist will prescribe and administer the appropriate vaccine. Allergists - please call us at 705-721-7520 ext. 8806 to request a dose of Novavax vaccine for these clients.

 

Ontario COVID-19 Allergy eConsult Service

COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form

COVID-19 Fact Sheet

mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Directive Template (Updated November 1, 2023)

Guidance for Obstetrics and Perinatal Care (Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada)

COVID-19 Numbers to Know – BORN Ontario

Outcomes of COVID-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy: A New JAMA Study – BORN Ontario (Infographic, 2022)

COVID-19 – MotherToBaby (January 6, 2022)

Other Web Links

COVID-19 Vaccine Information - Public Health Agency of Canada 

COVID-19 Vaccines for Ontario - Ontario Ministry of Health

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (Comirnaty) Vaccine Product Monograph

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Bivalent (Comirnaty) Vaccine Product Monograph

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Product Monograph

 

Symptoms of COVID-19 and its variants range from mild - like the flu and other common respiratory infections - to severe.

Some of the more commonly reported symptoms include:

  • sore throat
  • runny nose
  • sneezing
  • new or worsening cough
  • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • temperature equal to or more than 38°C
  • feeling feverish
  • chills
  • fatigue or weakness
  • muscle or body aches
  • new loss of smell or taste
  • headache
  • abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting
  • feeling very unwell

 Symptom Resources

Treatment Resources

Newest Guidelines/Documents 

 

Droplet and Contact precautions are sufficient for providing direct care to patients with suspect or confirmed COVID-19, including nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab collection. 

Airborne precautions, including the use of N95 respirators, are only required for Aerosol-generating medical procedures (e.g., endotracheal intubation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, bronchoscopy, surgery).

PPE Signs:

Accessing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): If unable to access PPE through the usual suppliers, see eHealth Ontario for assistance in requesting from the provincial supply.

Testing

Reporting

  • Novel coronavirus is reportable under Ontario's public health legislation. If you suspect an individual may be infected with COVID-19, report the suspected case to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit immediately. Laboratory confirmation is not required to report a suspected COVID-19 case.
  • COVID-19 Reporting Form

Case Management

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