Federal prisoners start vaccination with COVID-19 vaccine in pilot project

Hundreds of federal prisoners will begin vaccination with COVID-19 as part of a pilot project starting Friday, according to the Ottawa-Canada Orthodontic Union (UCCO). This is a controversial move among federal politicians about who is prioritized in the early stages of a mass vaccination campaign.

As part of this first vaccine deployment, 1,200 doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered to prisons nationwide. In all, 600 prisoners will be vaccinated, Each prisoner will receive the required two doses over several weeks. It remains unclear which vaccine they will use to immunize prisoners.

In total, nationwide Over 165,000 Healthcare workers, frontline staff, and seniors are beginning to be shot, with 1.2 million doses expected to land in the country this month and be administered to these major groups.

According to the union, sick and older prisoners are given first access to these shots, but prison officers and employees are not part of the program. UCCO President Jeff Wilkins is pushing to see prison officers get vaccinated sooner.

“People are very intimate there and our members will work there every day,” he said. “They need to be protected.”

Through the pilot, the dose is sent to five prisons. One on the Atlantic coast of Canada, one on Quebec, one on Ontario, one on the prairie, and one on the west coast. The union states that it is not particularly known which facility will be vaccinated.

The Canadian Orthodontic Service (CSC) said in a statement that it was following immunization health guidelines.

“We have worked closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada to address all aspects of the pandemic, including the provision of vaccines to prisoners,” said CSC.

CTVNews.ca followed up with the agency to provide additional details about this program, and Public Security Minister Bill Blair may face questions about it during a press conference scheduled Wednesday afternoon. not.

Already, the news has caused the wrath of Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, The person who tweeted on Tuesday night It: “One criminal should not be vaccinated before a vulnerable Canadian or frontline health care worker.”

Liberal lawmakers responded swiftlyAdvocates a mass vaccination campaign to receive information from medical professionals.

“There is no prison ICU … prisoners use regular hospital beds.” Tweeted Liberal Party member Chris Biddle.. “Maybe you should listen to public health experts, not opposition leaders,” he said.

The National Advisory Board on Immunization (NACI), which provides federal government advice and guidance on prioritizing vaccines, is the first step in vaccination by residents and staff in a collective living environment that cares for the elderly. Suggested that it should be in.

NACI said the second phase of vaccination should prioritize residents and correctional staff.

“The risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 is that physical distance and other means of infection prevention and control are difficult and that individuals take sufficient personal action to adequately protect themselves from infection. In addition, many residents of these environments have unfair access to medical care. ” Partially read the NACI recommendations.

While measures have been taken to limit the spread of highly contagious viruses through the closed areas of federal correctional facilities, there have been outbreaks in prisons nationwide and seven facilities are currently active in COVID-19 cases. We are dealing with.

In eastern Ontario, for example, an outbreak continues at the Joyceville Institute in Kingston, where 67 of a total of 151 prisoners tested positive for the virus during the pandemic are active.

until today, A total of 1,146 confirmed COVID-19 cases The average inmate population in Canada is about 14,000, with three deaths.

I will come more.

Using files from Kimberley Johnson and Ted Raymond on CTV News