No word yet on when COVID vaccine will be available in South zone

By GILLIAN SLADE on December 15, 2020.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade

The initial doses of COVID vaccine are being administered in Calgary and Edmonton but it remains unclear what the timing is for access in the south zone and Medicine Hat.

Health Minister Tyler Shandro said the first 3,900 doses of the Pfizer vaccine had arrived in the province and were in eight of the special extra cold freezers required for storage. Medical staff were already being contacted to arrange to receive the first doses on Wednesday in Calgary and Edmonton where the need is greatest.

Another 20 of those special, extra cold, freezers are expected to be delivered in January. The location of those 20 freezers is not being released at this stage and Alberta Health is not ready to disclose when the vaccine will be available in other zones.

“The eight sites will be located across Alberta, in all health zones. Exact locations are not being released at this time. As the additional freezers arrive, they will be installed throughout the province,” said Tom McMillan, spokesperson for Alberta Health. “Exact timelines are still being determined.”

A total of 25,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to arrive next week.

McMillan says these will be provided to respiratory therapists, intensive care physicians and staff, and eligible long-term care and designated supportive living workers across the province.

“This includes health-care workers in south zone,” said McMillan. “We are adopting a provincial approach for all vaccine delivery and immunizations.”

The Moderna vaccine has not yet been approved by Health Canada but based on anticipated timelines, Shandro told reporters Monday that it could still become available before the end of December. The Moderns vaccine does not require extra cold freezer storage and so is expected to be available for seniors’ residences.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw responded to questions about when the general public can expect to have an opportunity to get the COVID vaccine.

It will be “sometime before we are able to immunize the general population,” said Hinshaw.