Ontario Hospital Director Snuck In Family Member To Get Vaccine Dose Between Appointments

A staff director at an Ontario hospital has retired after it was revealed they helped a family member get a COVID-19 vaccine dose, bypassing the priority given to frontline healthcare workers.

Headwaters Health Care Centre released a statement about the "unfortunate situation," which occurred on January 14.

Editor's Choice: This Ontario Company Is Hiring Full-Time 'Candyologists' To Taste-Test Sweets At Home

A staff director at our hospital had a family member vaccinated during a break in scheduled appointments at the vaccination clinic. Headwaters Health Care Centre

The family member was at the hospital for unrelated reasons the same day that the vaccine clinic was running. 

"This was a failure in sound decision making by one individual, for which they and the hospital are deeply sorry," reads the statement.

As a result of the incident, the director has made the decision to retire immediately. 

Due to privacy policies, the hospital will not be providing any information on the individuals involved.

"Although it is everyone’s wish to have the opportunity to be vaccinated as soon as possible, there are processes in place that must be followed to ensure everyone is treated fairly and that we follow provincial and public health guidelines," said Headwaters.

The province is currently in phase one of its vaccination rollout, which gives priority to healthcare staff and residents in long-term care homes, remote Indigenous communities, and vulnerable populations.

To date, Ontario has administered 253,817 doses of vaccines.