WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has launched an online pre-registration form for organizations in the healthcare sector with staff who qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The online form will be used the help the health unit collect information about those who qualify for the vaccination from health care organizations that offer front line services.

“This process will ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine is administered to healthcare workers in the Very High Priority groups,” a news release from the health unit says.

WECHU will use the data collected to send a more detailed survey to health sector organizations and partners to determine their worker’s risk level (as per provincial guidance) and collect information to administer the vaccine in that workplace, the health unit says.

Ontario’s Guidance on Prioritizing Healthcare Worker’s for COVID-19 vaccine was released on Feb. 9, and based on provincial direction, workers in the ‘Very High Priority Group’ are now included in Phase 1 of the province’s COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Plan.

Those in the ‘Very High Priority Group’ include frontline healthcare workers in the following settings:

  • All remaining patient care areas in acute care and other hospital settings
  • Congregate settings
  • Community care with high risk of exposure and serving specialized patient populations
  • Other health care services for indigenous population
  • Community care with high risk of exposure and serving the general population
  • Laboratory services

The WECHU says in an effort to create a local plan that met the provincial priority requirements as well as to prepare for on-going vaccine roll-out, the Windsor Essex County Prioritization Committee developed the consultation process.

For now, the prioritization assessment form is only eligible to organizations that offer direct healthcare settings. The health unit says all submissions for consideration must be provided by an individual with signing authority.

“Only one request form will be permitted per organization and only organizations with healthcare workers in the 'highest' and 'very high' priority settings will be considered for vaccination at this time once vaccine supply becomes available,” the release says.

The online registration form is now open throughout the month of February.