Some 29,000 Alberta health care workers will get their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the month, with doses set to be distributed beginning Wednesday.
On Monday, the province announced a plan to deliver the vaccinations to health care workers by the end of December. The province has secured a second set of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with 25,350 doses coming next week, on top of the 3,900 doses that have already arrived in the province.
Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro said the vaccines are a glimmer of hope for the province.
"I said last week that there was a first glimmer of good news with the expected arrival of the first small shipment of vaccines this week," Shandro said.
"Today, I am here to confirm that the news is a lot bigger and it's a lot better."
ICU doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and long-term care workers in Edmonton and Calgary will get the first shots Wednesday. Those cities have the highest number of cases in Alberta and the most stress on their health systems.
The first doses have been delivered to Calgary and Edmonton and need to be distributed within days of delivery. Ultra-cold freezers needed for the Pfizer vaccines are now installed at eight locations across Alberta and AHS staff are being trained to ensure quality and safety are maintained.
Vaccines need to be given in two doses, one month apart, to be effective.
The next round of doses could arrive by Tuesday, Shandro said.
"Making this announcement is the greatest privilege that I've had as health minister, because it's the first real ray of light in the dark night that our health-care professionals have lived through for 10 months now," Shandro said.
Pending final approval from Health Canada, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Alberta later in December. The Moderna vaccine can be transported to other locations, so the initial shipment will be used to immunize residents at long-term care locations beginning with those at highest risk, including two First Nations seniors facilities.
As more shipments arrive in early January, immunization will focus on Phase 1 priority populations and will include residents of long-term care and designated supportive living facilities, followed by seniors aged 75 and over and First Nations on reserve, Inuit and on-settlement Metis individuals aged 65 and over.
Phase 2 is still expected to start by April 2021 and will be targeted to the next groups of prioritized populations. Final decisions regarding eligibility in Phase 2 have not yet been determined.
Phase 3 will involve rolling out vaccinations to the general Alberta population, and is anticipated to start later in 2021.
