Indigenous Hamilton residents wonder why it took so long to get vaccine information

Ken Bellavance says he's angry and frustrated that it took public health weeks to tell Indigenous Hamiltonians to call a hotline to book a vaccine appointment.

On Thursday, after days of unclear messaging described by one Indigenous local as muddled," public health put out a release stating all Indigenous adults can book COVID-19 vaccination appointments by calling the public health hotline. Indigenous adults above the age of 55 living off-reserve had been eligible for vaccines since March 3. (Adults above the age of 18 were eligible as of Thursday.)

Then, on Friday, a public health official confirmed Indigenous adults will have to wait four months for their second dose, despite saying a week earlier they'd be vaccinated on the previously-set schedule.

It's the same old thing," said Bellavance, who is Mohawk and lives in Hamilton. Again, we're being abandoned by the government."

Asked why it took public health so long to provide information about appointment bookings, spokesperson James Berry said public health took direction from Indigenous community organizations they are working with on when and whether the COVID-19 hotline was the optimal method."

Hamilton Public Health Services is very mindful that we are here to work with Indigenous partners and deliver vaccine in ways that they determine, as well as offering that all can book through the hotline," Berry said.

Michelle Baird, who oversees vaccines with the city, confirmed Friday via a response to a concerned community member - who copied The Spec on an email - that Indigenous adults will have to wait four months between first and second doses. Last week she said that wouldn't be the case.

As of now, the provincial direction is now that urban Indigenous community members will have their second doses pushed out to the 16 weeks in accordance with all urban Indigenous across the province," Baird wrote. I apologize for any confusion but at this point our direction is clear on this change."

Berry said the province made the decision about dose intervals.

Bellavance said he was disappointed but not surprised to learn about the flip-flip communication about the four-month gap. He's had trouble getting straight answers on vaccines from anyone at the city, the provincial government or the federal government in recent weeks.

Jordan Carrier, a Cree woman and longtime Hamiltonian, questions why it took so long for public health to clear all this up.

Why are we being left in the dark?" she asks.

Carrier noted that Indigenous communities already have a long-standing distrust of health-care systems.

They are just reinforcing that mistrust," Carrier said. This could have been an opportunity to really understand Indigenous communities and people as a priority group and clearly communicate that."

To book a vaccine appointment, Indigenous adults within Hamilton should call the public health COVID-19 hotline at 905-974-9848 and choose option 7.

Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com