B.C.'s family doctors want COVID-19 vaccine doses to offer in-person patients
Now that she’s seeing patients in person again at her family practice in Vancouver, Dr. Anna Wolak always asks them if they’re vaccinated. If the patient says no, she tries to address their hesitancy, and has had success in getting some of them to change their minds.
But she can only tell them where and how to get their shots, she can’t offer them a COVID-19 vaccine on the spot.
“My worry is somewhere along the way, they will see something on social media or talk to a friend, and all the work I had put into the convincing could fall by the wayside,” said Wolak.
She would like family physicians to have vaccine on hand to offer to patients who are finally ready to roll up their sleeves in the exam room, something family doctors can already do with the flu shot.
“We have a patient coming in for something completely different and say, ‘Hey, have you gotten your flu shot?’ And if they haven’t and we have a quick conversation, it’s right there, it’s like meters away,” said Wolak.
Right now, four hospitals in the Vancouver Coastal Health region have vaccine doses in emergency room fridges. This past week, Dr. Nav Grewal jabbed a patient in the ER for the very first time.
“It was great,” said Grewal. “I was able to take someone who had some vaccine hesitancy, answer their questions while they were there for a non-COVID-related issue, and was able to vaccinate them right there and then.”
She’d like to see that same easy access for family doctors.
“We are down to the last five to 10 per cent of people that are going to get vaccinated. This would be the prime time to get these (vaccines) into family physician offices and other primary care offices,” Grewal said.
Wolak said it’s especially important as B.C. prepares to launch a vaccine campaign for children ages five to 11.
“When they’re with the doctor they have known all their lives and they’ve trusted, it would be easier and less painful for them to get it in my office than, say, in the thousand-people convention centre,” said Wolak.
If the province does offer vaccine doses to family doctors offices?
“Sign me up,” she said. “I’m waiting for my flu shot delivery, so we can give the COVID shot at the same time as the flu shot as well. It would be so much easier.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man books $7,700 luxury villa on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he was charged more than $7,700 to book a luxury villa on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.