Saskatchewan Needs to Pivot Vaccine Plans: Experts

Saskatoon-Naseem Muhajarin says he feels relieved after receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Saskatoon center last week.

“It was very well organized and operated. I felt it was completely safe,” Muhajarin said in an interview.

A professor of community health epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan said the state has made great strides in launching shootings rapidly, but is concerned that some may be left behind.

Prime Minister Scott Moe advertised that Saskatchewan is the country’s leader in the implementation of the first vaccination during the question period on Wednesday.

“Our way to get over this pandemic is that everyone’s plan to get over this pandemic is to get everyone vaccinated as soon as possible,” Moe said.

Saskatchewan has been vaccinated more than 365,000 times. Health officials say 52 percent of residents over the age of 40 received their first shot.

In terms of per capita population provision, it exceeds Saskatchewan, which has a population of just under 1.18 million, compared to other states. Data from the COVID-19 vaccination tracker run by students at the University of Saskatchewan using federal and state data suggests that the states outperform Ontario and Quebec.

Moe appreciates the Saskatchewan Party’s “strong vaccination program.” This will be strengthened in the next few days, he says. Eligibility for all vaccines will be reduced to 44 on Thursday, but to 40 in the north. By Wednesday, the general population is expected to drop to 40.

Muhajarin said there is much to admire for the vaccine’s deployment. Initially, he said, the choice to use age-based eligibility meant that it was easier to understand and target people who were likely to experience serious consequences if infected. ..

The drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic has also been successful, Muhajarine said. Those offering mass vaccinations in Regina are working particularly well, as the capital has become a variant hotspot.

Muhajarin said his own experience has shown that organizing on large-scale mass vaccination sites is also commendable.

However, the professor said the state may have missed the mark because vulnerable older people are currently vaccinated and new strains are highly contagious.

He said that the fastest vaccinations are only part of a good public health response, but the surge in infections and hospitalizations should be directed to those who are most affected by the response. It means that there is.

“Workplace expansion and outbreaks are quite widespread,” Muhajarin said. “It was a big contributor in Regina and a contributor in Saskatoon.”

On Wednesday, 231 new cases occurred in Saskatchewan, killing another four. This includes people in their 30s and 40s. Others were over 70 years old. There were 185 people in the hospital and 49 people in the intensive care unit.

State public health orders have recently tightened as authorities warned that more contagious mutants are becoming predominant.

According to Muhajarin, Cree’s influential teacher Victor Thunder Child, 55, died in Prince Albert and famous chef Warren Montgomery, 42, died in Regina at a high-risk workplace. An example of people under this age who were not vaccinated in the environment. -Eligibility plan.

Saskatchewan should consider following Ontario and Manitoba, which focus on vaccination programs in areas where people are at high risk of being infected with the virus.

He added that socio-economic factors, such as the number of residents in the household and the type of work people do, also need to be considered.

One example is an area with multi-generational households, where many people face the general public for service work. He said that collective living facilities such as shelters and correction centers are also different.

Muhajarin said teachers and other essential workers should also be prioritized.

He suggested that in all parts of the country, targeting areas and professions where the third wave of pandemics has taken hold has benefited.

“It’s not a trivial matter in this kind of complex and large-scale business.”

This report by Canadian Press was first published on April 21, 2021.

— Winnipeg’s Kelly Geraldine Malone