Prioritizing vaccines for those in hot spots is the right move and arguably an easy decision.

The hard part—implementation.

How do we make sure that action matches intention and that those most at risk get priority?

A short thread 1/ https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/04/07/is-your-postal-code-in-this-database-if-so-a-covid-19-vaccine-is-headed-your-way-really-soon.html?rf

To start, these postal codes are going to need more vaccine supply per capita. That means that while supply is limited, other regions will need to be ok with getting less.

Experience to date suggests this basic piece will be a challenge to get right 2/

Within these postal codes, there are many who are at greater risk. Essential workers have less work flexibility to take the time to navigate our complex booking system or attend an appointment. Yet, they need to be prioritized over those who can safely work from home 3/

The current booking system in TO is a maze of complexity. Different priority postal codes are matched to different hospitals, each with their own booking site.

We need centralized booking or to at least allow those from any of the priority postal codes to book at any site 4/

I worry that the current broad criteria will result in a stampede of those less at-risk claiming the vaccine spots.

To counter, we need to bring vaccines to workplaces wherever possible 5/

We also need LOTS of targeted health promotion in these postal codes to build confidence and provide practical info —billboards, newspapers, radio and more. We should also leverage community ambassadors trained by @health_commons and others 6/

And of course we should integrate #primarycare. We can do proactive outreach to eligible patients. This can be particularly effective and efficient if we have direct access to the booking system (or have vaccines ourselves!) 7/

We have the right policy direction on this one.

Now we need to get the implementation right—a real worry given challenges with the vaccine rollout to date but also so important with rampant #covid spread