WINDSOR, ONT. -- The medical officer of health for Windsor-Essex says he's "disturbed" with the lack of prioritization of who is getting the COVID-19 vaccine in the region.
Dr. Wajid Ahmed spoke out about the ethical framework after hearing members of a local hospital leadership team have been offered vaccines.
“It’s not right, there are clear guidance,” says Ahmed.
Ahmed says there is a scoring system for determining who should be getting the vaccine at this stage in the pandemic. He doesn't believe hospital executives would qualify at this point.
On Tuesday, the CEO of Erie Shores Healthcare told CTV News members of their leadership team were offered COVID-19 vaccines. This after their director of public relations Arms Bumanlag tweeted an image of himself being vaccinated.
Ahmed says once they are done vaccinating employees of long-term care, his next focus is on people living in long-term care and the people who take care of them.
“The essential caregivers, especially if they are elderly, if they are old, if they have a partner, they have difficulty going to the clinic site and get vaccinated, they are my priority, there has to be some ethics involved and I'm really disturbed by that you know if it’s not being followed it’s a blow, its blow in everyone's face,” says Ahmed.
Ahmed says there shouldn’t be any queue jumping or any favourtism in vaccine distribution.
“We have heard complaints, concerns from other healthcare workers on who’s getting the vaccine when they don’t even work with patients or when their work with patients is minimal,” says Ahmed.
