Dear Patients,

Some questions have arisen that our team wanted to answer at this stage – please see below, and you can find more detail.

All COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada are highlt effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.

Two doses of the vaccine significantly increases vaccine effectiveness, including against variants.

• Appropriate steps taken – The vaccines were developed so fast because it was a top priority for everyone in the field and billions of dollars from governments and companies around the world were spent on getting it developed. The scientific world cooperated in ways they had not before. The bureaucratic process was super-fast because of the importance of getting this through

• Effectiveness – All of the approved vaccines have a high efficacy rate against sever disease. In large clinical trials, efficacy against severe disease was shown to be:
Pfizer: 75-100% (after dose 2)
Moderna: 100% (14 days after dose 2)
AstraZeneca: 100% (after dose 2)

• Pregnancy/breastfeeding – Pregnant and breastfeeding women were not included in trials for the currently available vaccines. However, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada has stated that: 1) Pregnant women should be offered vaccination at any time furing pregnancy or while breastfeeding. 2) Pregnant women are at increased risk of morbidity from COVID-19 infection, all pregnant women should be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, if not contrainticated. 3) The Ministry also point out that mRNA vaccines are not live vaccines and are not expected to be a risk to the breastfeeding infant.

https://sogc.org/common/Uploaded%20files/Latest%20News/SOGC_Statement_COVID-19_Vaccination_in_Pregnancy.pdf

• Allergies – People who have ever had a severe allergic reaction (i.e. anaphylaxis) or allergic reaction within 4 hours of receiving a previous dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or any of the ingredients in the vaccine should have a consultation with their provider. We will discuss any allergies or other health conditions you may have before you receive the vaccine. If needed, we can seek input from an allergist-immunologist.

• Autoimmune conditions/Immunocompromised – If you have an autoimmune or immunodeficiency condition, or are immunosuppressed due to disease or treatment, we will discuss the benefits and risks of vaccination given your particular situation and come to a decision together. People with these conditions were not included in the trials for the currently available vaccines, although vaccination may be a good idea for you to reduce your risk of getting a COVID-19 infection. Discuss risks and benefits with your physician or primary healthcare provider.

The office has remained accessible to you, by phone, or in person as deemed necessary. I thank you for your understanding as we help you in your health in these different ways. Thank you all for what you have done to keep yourselves, your loved ones, and your communities safe. Thank you to those frontline workers providing the services that we have needed to function.

Adapted from the Ontario College of Family Physicians

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit

Ministry of Health

Health Canada

Our physicians are following the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI):

Valid Medical exemptions are few and include:

1) Serious allergic reaction to the vaccine or its components.*
Individuals with a history of allergy not related to a component of authorized COVId-19 vaccines or other injectable therapy (e.g. foods, oral drugs, insect nevom and environmental allergens) can receive COVID-19 vaccines without any special precautions

2) Myocarditis/pericarditis with the first dose.
Those who developed myocarditis or pericarditis following the first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should not receive a second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine until more information is available.

Not really sure about the COVID-19 vaccine, or the information you’ve seen?

Connect with a service provided by qualified Scarborough Health Network doctors.

https://www.shn.ca/vaxfacts/

The health care team at the FMTU are here to help. However, we also believe that patients and doctors/NP/RN must work as a team, so it is also the patient’s responsibility to take care of their health.Appointment times are only about 15 min, and doctors are often running very busy with their schedules, so it’s important for you to be prepared for your visit. This will help you and your doctor meet your health care needs.Read our check-list of 10 things you can do to make the most of your next visit.

Some general information is organized below.
More information about cancer screening can be found here.

• Breast Cancer Screening
  Women aged 50 to 74, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) recommends getting screened with mammography every 2 years. Talk to your health care provider about screening recommendations if you are at higher risk for breast cancer.

   

• Colon Cancer Screening
  Your age and family history help your doctor or nurse practitioner figure out when you should get screened for colorectal cancer and what screening test is best for you. Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) OR colonoscopy.

   

• Cervical Cancer Screening
  The Ontario Cervical Screening Program recommends that women who are or have been sexually active have a Pap test every 3 years starting at age 21 and continue until at least age 70 or when advised by a doctor or nurse practitioner to stop. There is also a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer.

   

• Prostate Cancer Early Detection
  Due to the potential harms of screening, including over-diagnosis and over-treatment, Cancer Care Ontario does not support screening for prostate cancer unless you are at higher risk. If you have questions speak to Your Doctor or nurse practitioner.

   

Find Walk-in Clinics affiliated with the Barrie FMTU

When your physician refers you to a specialist, the specialist is required to acknowledge the referral within 14 days. The specialist office is now required to contact you directly with the appointment date and time. If you cannot go at the appointed time, please contact the specialist’s office to reschedule. Please do not miss specialists’ appointments as they often take weeks or months to schedule and they may charge you for a missed appointment. You may also need to obtain radiology digital images from labs/hospitals to take to relevant specialist appointments.

Please allow 72 business hours for prescription renewal requests to be completed. Be sure to request your refills well before you completely run out of your present medication. Have your pharmacist fax your request to our office. This process avoids medication errors. You should book an office visit to review your medications if this has not been done recently.

Your doctor at the Barrie FMTU will fill out and fax a requisition to RVH. RVH will contact our office with your appointment date and time. Our staff will contact you with appointment details – if you need to reschedule you can then contact the RVH department directly. 

For more infomation on RVH Imaging 

A signed requisition from your doctor at the Barrie FMTU will be needed. You may walk-in for x-rays. An appointment is needed for a bone density scan or ultrasound. A requisition will be faxed from our office to Georgian Radiology Consultants and once an appointment is booked it will be faxed back to the FMTU. One of the office admin will call you with your appointment date and time.

More information