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“With such a high demand and a low supply … we need to prioritize who receives that vaccine,” he said.
They’re also asking why Saskatchewan Penitentiary and Stony Mountain Institution in Manitoba aren’t included in the first wave, Wilkins said. Saskatchewan Penitentiary, as of Jan. 5, had 46 active COVID-19 cases out of 215 positive tests since the first case was discovered in mid-December, according to the CSC’s data. Stony Mountain had eight active cases out of 351 positive tests, as well as one death.
The CSC said Wednesday afternoon that it plans to start offering the vaccines from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s supply of Moderna vaccines. Staff at the federal institutions are vaccinated by their home provinces and territories, according to the CSC.
It said in a statement on Thursday that it plans to prioritize the vaccinations of 600 inmates in the first phase by age and underlying medical condition. It will hold five clinics — one each at the Regional Treatment Centre in British Columbia, the Regional Treatment Centre in Ontario, Drummond Institution in Quebec, Springhill Institution in Nova Scotia and the Saskatoon RPC. Other clinics are expected to be scheduled in the coming week.
The CSC said the rollout is based on recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), which is comprised of experts in various medical and scientific fields.
Ultimately, the CSC aims to offer vaccinations to all federal inmates.
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health said in an emailed response that it is using recommendations made by the NACI for determining prioritization of vaccines, but specific information about the plan as it pertains to provincial correctional centres is not available.
