COVID-19 – Health Professionals

Last updated: March 8, 2022

In addition to the information below, please also refer to the general COVID-19 information webpage and information for workplaces.

Case and Contact Guidance
COVID-19 Vaccine Information
COVID-19, Pregnancy and Infant Feeding
General COVID-19 Resources for Healthcare Workers
Environmental Cleaning & Infection Control
Personal Protective Equipment
Lab Testing Guidelines
Resources for Pharmacies

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Healthcare providers are essential to the success of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. As a healthcare provider, you have the opportunity to educate your patients on the facts about the COVID-19 vaccines. This can motivate patients to make an informed choice for their health.

Education Documents
Guidance for Special Populations
Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy
Addressing Needle Anxiety
COVID-19 Vaccine Information – General Public Resources

Healthcare Provider Education Documents

The first step in educating patients on the COVID-19 vaccine is to become educated yourself. The Ministry of Health has created educations documents for healthcare providers to assist in your practice:

General

Myocarditis/Pericarditis Resources

Second dose guidance for individuals who received a first dose of AstraZeneca

Counselling Special Populations on Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine

There are specific populations that may not be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This may be due to an allergy to a component of the vaccine. It may also be the case that a population was not involved in the clinical trials and information may not be available about the outcomes of receiving the vaccine for those individuals.

Vaccination Recommendations for Special Populations
COVID-19 Vaccination Allergy Form
COVID-19 Vaccine Pre-screen Assessment Tool
COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form– Ministry of Health
Guidance to Support Pregnant and Breastfeeding People– Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health
Patient Decision Making Tool: Vaccination during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding – Ministry of Health
COVID-19 Third Dose Referral form PPH (Revised October 18, 2021)

Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy

Healthcare providers play a key role in addressing vaccine hesitancy. It is your role to assist patients in weighing the risks and benefits to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Some strategies to consider when addressing vaccine hesitancy include:

Honesty and transparency about the risks of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine
Provide facts about the COVID-19 vaccine
Highlight consequences of not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine
Explain benefits to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine

Resources to Assist with Vaccine Hesitancy

Ministry of Health – Vaccine Hesitancy Resources
What you Need to Know About Getting The Vaccine
- This document contains FAQs that may assist in answering patient or client questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccines
Answers to Difficult Questions about COVID-19 Vaccine
- This document contains difficult COVID-19 vaccine related FAQs that healthcare providers may receive
Framework for Approaching Difficult Conversations with Patients
- This framework outlines tips and resources for addressing vaccine hesitancy from a patient-centered approach.
Vaccine FAQ
- Peterborough Public Health vaccine webpage contains FAQs and is regularly updated

Resources to Assist with Needle Anxiety

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Patient Screening

COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms
COVID-19 Patient Screening Guidance Document
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COVID-19, Pregnancy and Infant Feeding

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General COVID-19 Resources for Healthcare Workers

The Ministry of Health can be contacted through the Health Care Provider Hotline for policy guidance related to COVID-19 at 1-866-212-2272.

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Environmental Cleaning & Infection Control

Cleaning for COVID-19 is the same for other contact/droplet viruses, like influenza. Additional precautions may be recommended based upon a risk assessment.