Sheila Veeder, 63, a resident of the Riverview Care Centre in Medicine Hat, is the first long-term care resident in Alberta to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday.--PHOTO COURTESY ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
Premier Jason Kenney announced on Twitter that a woman at a seniors’ residence in Medicine Hat received the COVID vaccine on Wednesday.
“Alberta has just given our 1st long-term care resident the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Sheila is a resident at Riverview Care Centre in Medicine Hat. She was once an avid dancer until a stroke & 2 heart attacks slowed her dance moves but couldn’t slow her spirit,” reads Kenney’s tweet.
Medicine Hat received 975 doses of the Moderna vaccine and Dr. Byron Hirsch was the first person to get one of those on Dec. 23.
Neither Alberta Health Services nor Alberta Health would say on Wednesday how many of the 975 doses have been administered so far.
Dr. Paul Parks, emergency physician Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, says he has not had a call yet from AHS to book an appointment for the vaccine.
“Still in the queue, anxious to get it … they had limited supply and went with LTC and ICU staff first … emerg looks to be scheduled for first thing in the new year,” said Parks via email. “I’m definitely going to get it, and it will have a huge impact when it can be rolled out more widely.”
On Tuesday it emerged at a press conference that of the 29,000 doses of vaccine expected to be administered to people before Jan. 1, AHS had done fewer than 7,000.
According to online data posted Wednesday afternoon, a total of 8,544 doses had been administered by the end of the day on Dec. 29.
Health Minister Tyler Shandro had instructed that none of the vaccine be held back for the second dose required about two weeks after the first. AHS had held back half the doses, leaving 14,500 doses available – of which fewer than 8,544 had been given.
Drew Barnes, MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat, says AHS should be held responsible.
“AHS is a taxpayer supported, Albertan servicing organization. Their oversight comes from the health minister and cabinet … As such, there has to be consequences for AHS not following cabinet direction,” said Barnes.
He says government needs to monitor progress daily. He says there is reason to be concerned that this will affect the confidence Albertans have in the vaccine and how it is being managed.
There was no response to a request for comment from Brooks-MH MLA Michaela Glasgo.
British newspaper The Telegraph reported Wednesday that Israel had, in the last nine days, already vaccinated 500,000 of its residents. They achieved this by using hospitals, community clinics and 700 paramedics.
“It’s very similar to battle: you have an enemy, you have the right ammunition,and you just have to deliver,” the story reads.
Israel has become the first country to begin issuing “green passports” to residents who have had the required two doses of the vaccine. Those with a “green passport” will not be subjected to lockdown measures.
Steve Buick, spokesperson for Shandro, told the News on Wednesday that there is “no specific daily target or concern about AHS’s capacity,” because they are doing the vaccinations as fast as they can.
Buick says the target of vaccinating 29,000 people before year end was based on a delivery schedule that “shifted a bit.”
The uncertainty about the next deliveries of the vaccines accounted for AHS feeling the need to hold back vaccine for the second doses, he said.
“And now there’s a general move to giving all the initial doses as first shots, among provinces and in the UK for example. The reality is this is new and it’s evolving quickly as we get going,” said Buick.
