The Ontario government has announced the appointment of nine members of the new Ministers' COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force.
The task force will be chaired by General (retired) Rick Hillier, former Chief of Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces, will oversee the delivery, storage and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
The other members of the task force are:
- Dr. Dirk Huyer, Ontario's Chief Coroner and Coordinator of Provincial Outbreak Response
- Dr. Homer Tien, trauma surgeon and President and CEO, Ornge
- Dr. Maxwell Smith, bioethicist and assistant professor, Western University
- Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious diseases consultant and internist, Toronto General Hospital
- Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald of Taykwa Tagamou Nation
- Dr. Regis Vaillancourt, Director of Pharmacy and Integrated Pain Services, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
- Linda Hasenfratz, CEO, Linamar Corporation
- Angela Mondou, President and CEO, TECHNATION (former Research in Motion executive)
- Mark Saunders, former Toronto Police Chief
"This is a critical stage in our fight against COVID-19. The task force we have assembled will play a key role in developing and implementing Ontario's immunization program," Health Minister Christine Elliott explained in a news release. "I am confident that with the collective knowledge, experience and advice from these experts, Ontario will be ready to deliver the vaccines in an ethical, timely and effective manner as soon as they are available."
The task force will hold its first meeting on Friday afternoon.
"The safe, secure and successful delivery of COVID-19 vaccines is a huge undertaking," said General Hillier. "I am honoured that these outstanding individuals with expertise in health, industry and logistics are joining our task force and I look forward to working with them on this important mission."
