Ontario is giving priority access to COVID-19 vaccines to some neighbourhoods that have been far less affected by the pandemic than other areas not designated as hot spots, data analysis by CBC News reveals.
Five postal code zones declared as hot spots have rates of COVID-19 cases, hospitalization and death that are actually below the provincial averages, according to data compiled by ICES, a research institute focused on health issues in Ontario
The designation of hot spot gives people in those areas higher priority for vaccinations, despite their lower-than-average pandemic burden. More than 175,000 people live in the five postal codes zones, four of them in ridings represented by Progressive Conservative MPPs.
CBC’s review of the data identified seven postal code zones that have felt a greater impact from COVID-19 as measured by the province’s official criteria, yet are not classed as hot spots. All are located in ridings held by the opposition parties.
The findings raise questions about why certain neighbourhoods are being given preferential access to vaccines even though they have experienced less impact from COVID-19 than many other parts of of the province.
The provincial government last Tuesday released a list of 114 postal code zones designated as hot spots, and announced the start of targeted vaccinations in those areas for people aged 50 and up.
The next day, Premier Doug Ford announced that all adults in those hotspots would be eligible to get vaccinated immediately.
More than 4.2 million people live in the hotspots, according to 2016 census data. There’s concern that by giving the hot spot designation to too large a swathe of the population, the province risks diverting vaccination resources away from the areas and people that need them most.
“If you’re not able to insure that there’s a more targeted approach and that there’s actually mobilization out to people, those who we are trying to reach, who we know are in neighbourhoods on fire, will continue to be at risk,” said Dr. Andrew Boozary, director of University Health Network’s social medicine program.
LAW