Snuneymuxw First Nation holds vaccination clinics as infections increase

In response to the increasing outbreak of COVID-19, a rapid response vaccination clinic was established in the Snuneymuxw First Nations in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith region.

Snuneymuxw First Nation opened a clinic on Wednesday to administer the Moderna vaccine to people over the age of 18 who want it in the community.

The clinic will run Thursday from 9am to 4pm. Elders living in the reserve were first given the opportunity to be vaccinated, followed by frontline workers and community members.

On Tuesday, three more Snuneymuxw First Nation members were COVID-19 positive, for a total of 19 so far. Everything is isolated and Island Health states that it has contact tracing and daily check-in with affected families.

Snuneymuxw’s chief Mike Wyse and the council issued a curfew on Sunday in hopes of delaying the infection, calling for prompt access to the vaccine. Students need to stay at home and study remotely.

“Our most important goal today is to do our best to contain the spread of the virus and prevent further infections,” Wise said in a letter announcing the clinic on Tuesday. He called on members of the community to do everything in their power to flatten the curve and comply with the curfew.

Nine First Nations communities on Vancouver Island offer vaccination clinics, said Richard Jock, Chief Executive Officer of the First Nations Health Department. 18 is the priority in the state.

Jock said at a press conference Wednesday that the names of the vaccinated regions, remote areas and isolated communities were not disclosed. However, to encourage members of the community to be vaccinated, some leaders have posted pictures of them being vaccinated, such as Ahousat near Tofino and Ehatesat in Zeballos.

The vaccine is targeted at isolated remote communities, but can also be sent to communities with important community clusters, such as the Snuneymuxw community, which was not on the initial priority list.

Dr. Shannon McDonald, Chief Medical Officer of the Health Authority, said:

McDonald’s is one of the focus of health authorities on how providing vaccines at the time of outbreak affects community infections and consequences. “I’m very interested in seeing how this is done in this community.”

According to McDonald’s, 2,000 indigenous people have been positive and 24 have died since the pandemic began. Of the infected, 191 were on Vancouver Island. McDonald’s did not reveal how many indigenous people died from the virus on the island.

According to McDonald’s, the overall death toll does not seem to be large compared to the larger community.

“But in our context, each of those individuals plays an important role in our community,” she said. “The greatest concern has always been the elders of our community, the living library, our knowledge holders and language holders, and the community has expressed from the beginning of this. [pandemic] The importance of protecting them. “

Jock said the vaccine was sent to four other communities experiencing outbreaks in other areas.

There are several confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Kauchin tribe in the Duncan region.

Dr. Nel Wieman, Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the First Nations Health Authority, said the vaccine brought hope that “the situation will change and we will be able to regroup at cultural activities and ceremonies.” There is still more. “

According to Weemann, health officials have sent a message to community members that the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks.

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