LONDON – MPPs Terence Kernaghan (London North Centre), Teresa Armstrong (London—Fanshawe) and Peggy Sattler (London West) have sent a letter Monday to Premier Doug Ford urging that his government take immediate steps to correct the inequitable distribution of vaccines that has left London residents with less opportunity to be fully vaccinated than those in other non-hotspot regions.
Read and view the full letter:
Dear Premier,
Since the first day COVID-19 vaccines became available, Londoners have been eagerly booking appointments to get their shots. As London MPPs, we are proud of the way residents have sprung into action to protect themselves and our community.
While demand in the Middlesex-London area has consistently outstripped vaccine supply, we understand that some health units have received more supply than they need, enabling your government to take credit for accelerating second dose eligibility. Yet when second doses were announced on May 28 for those aged 80+ and today for those aged 70+, you did not acknowledge the reality that health units like ours are still steadily booking first doses.
Premier, the Middlesex-London Health Unit does not have sufficient supply to meet first dose capacity, much less to move up second dose appointments, which means that people in the London area do not have the same opportunities to get fully vaccinated as those living in other non-hotspot regions.
Our city has also been grossly underserviced by the rollout of vaccines in pharmacies, with London locations being added to the program later and in smaller proportionate numbers, first when AstraZeneca was made available in pharmacies, and again when pharmacies began to offer mRNA vaccines.
Londoners are rightfully frustrated by these discrepancies. We add our voices as MPPs for London to those of London Mayor Ed Holder and Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie in calling for a fair supply in our region. We have the capacity to get more vaccines into arms. All we need is our fair share of doses.
We urge you to correct this inequity immediately.
Sincerely,
Peggy Sattler, MPP London West
Teresa Armstrong, MPP London-Fanshawe
Terence Kernaghan, MPP London North Centre
