The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Carlyle and other communities
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said the Pfizer vaccine is being delivered. They have just over 1,000 doses for South East Zone 4.
Long-term care and health centres in Gainsborough, Oxbow, Redvers, Carnduff and Estevan are slated to receive the vaccine.
This will be the first dose only, with the second doses scheduled for these groups at the end of March.
This marked one of the first times that the COVID-19 vaccine has been administered in South East Zone 4, which includes Carlyle. There was a vaccine clinic at the White Bear First Nation in the second week of February.
White Bear has had 43 cases of COVID-19 so far this year. None of those cases are now considered active.
Those who are eligible to receive the vaccine at this time will be contacted directly to have their appointments scheduled. Due to limited vaccine supply at this time, the SHA says immunization of populations over the age of 70 years is randomized for equitable access and the SHA asks for patience as they continue to provide the vaccine to all eligible persons through phase 1 of the rollout.
As of Wednesday afternoon, there was just one active case of COVID in South East Zone 4, which has a population of more than 31,000 people, making it the sixth-most populous zone in the province.
In a news release sent out Tuesday, the Ministry of Health said 100 per cent of long-term care homes across Saskatchewan have now received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine with ninety-one (91) per cent of residents choosing to receive the vaccine.
Fifty-three (53) per cent of facilities have received both their first and second dose.
Nine per cent of long-term care home residents were not immunized due to a variety of circumstances, such as the availability of residents at the time of vaccination, refusal to take the vaccine or a change in health status.
Ninety (90) per cent of personal care homes (PCHs) have now received their first doses. Forty-three (43) per cent have received both their first and second doses.
This achievement comes less than two months after the first long-term care home resident in Saskatchewan received the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Ensuring seniors living in long-term and personal care homes are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is a priority for the Government of Saskatchewan,” said Everett Hindley, Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health minister. “As the supply of vaccine hopefully continues to expand in the coming weeks, we will be able to quickly expand our vaccination efforts for seniors living independently, as well as our other priority groups.
“We look forward to the day when all Saskatchewan's seniors are fully vaccinated against the threat of COVID-19.”
Since the pandemic began a year ago, there have been over 40 outbreaks declared at long-term and personal care homes in Saskatchewan, resulting in over 100 deaths.
