Local doc first to be vaccinated

By GILLIAN SLADE on December 24, 2020.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade

Alberta Health Services says the first COVID-19 vaccination in Medicine Hat took place at noon on Wednesday.

AHS made the decision not to allow the media to attend and the recipients were not available for interviews.

Dr. Byron Hirsch, family physician in Medicine Hat, was the first local person to be given the vaccine, says an AHS spokesperson.

Hirsch, 63, has worked with seniors in long-term care and supportive living for the past 10 years. An AHS spokesperson says Hirsch hopes that showing himself receiving the vaccine is an example to staff who may be reluctant to take it themselves.

“There are all kinds of theories out there but the sooner we can get a large volume of people vaccinated, the quicker we can get out of the restrictions in long-term-care facilities,” said Hirsch in a press release.

AHS said there are 14 specific centres across the province now providing the vaccine to all “eligible respiratory therapists, ICU staff and physicians, and some continuing care health-care workers”.

Where this took place in Medicine Hat is not being revealed by AHS.

“Staff and physicians identified for immunization during this preliminary phase have been selected based on their level of interaction with individuals that are COVID-19 positive, their risk of transmission from COVID-19 positive cases, as well as their role on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response,” states an AHS press release.

A second shipment of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Alberta this week, and Medicine Hat has been allocated 975 doses.

Brooks, Lethbridge, Camrose, Drumheller, Edson, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Pincher Creek and St. Paul have each been given 975 doses.

Calgary and Edmonton received 6,825 doses and Red Deer 1,950 from this second shipment.

Alberta Health told the News that AHS is booking appointments for those who qualify for the vaccine.

Alberta received its first Pfizer vaccine shipment of 3,900 doses on Dec. 14 and 3,074 health-care workers in the Edmonton and Calgary area have already received the first of the required two doses.

A total of 25,350 doses have now arrived in the province.

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