Staff, residents at Gatineau nursing home awaiting COVID-19 vaccine

Nearly 600 residents and staff at CHSLDLionel-mondin Gatineau, Que., one of the largest long-term care facilities in the Outaouais, should begin receiving a COVID-19 vaccine next week, according to the region's public health authority.

Unlike Ontario, where hospitals are administering the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTechvaccine to front-line staff, Quebec has chosen to send its allocationdirectly to long-term care facilitiesso residents can also be inoculated.

"We've seen the impact of infections on our long-term care facilities," saidDr. Carol McConnery, infectious disease specialist with the Centre intgr de sant et de services sociauxde l'Outaouais(CISSSO).

"With this approach we can start immunizingresidents [and]health-care workers simultaneously."

19deaths atCHSLDLionel-mond

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubannounced Thursday that 21 more sites will receive shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTechvaccine beginning Monday, including CHSLD Lionel-mond, where 17 residents and two staff members died during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to McConnery, the homewas chosen because of its central location, because its large size makes it especially vulnerable to outbreaks, and because it has the equipment to store vaccine, which must be kept in extremely cold conditions, on site.

We're ready to go as soon as the vaccines are available.- Dr. Carol McConnery, CISSSO

McConnery wasn't able to say precisely how many doses CHSLD Lionel-mondwill receive, nor when they'll arrive.

"We're ready to go as soon as the vaccines are available," she said. "We're ready to go that same day, that same hour."

McConnery said if there's any vaccineleft over, staff at neighbouring homes will be offered doses as well.

Patrick Guay, acting president of the union representing nurses in the region, said health-care workers are relieved to see the first vaccines finally arrive.

"All I can say is,finally," said Guayin a French-language interview.

CISSSO has put out a call for trained health-care workers including retired nurses to help with the vaccination campaign.