A total of 4,900 doses of the vaccine arrived in the province on Wednesday and will be delivered to health care workers as well as long-term care home staff and residents.
Since the Moderna vaccine is easier to transport and deliver due to not needing the heavy refrigeration required for the Pfizer vaccine, the roll-out will be quicker and easier for northern communities with limited resources.
“Initially this will be going to the far north central and far northwest parts of the province,” said Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province’s Chief Medical Health Officer. “This is where we have had high numbers of cases and high test positive rate.”
The Pfizer vaccine has been in the province since mid December and a total of 2,942 people in Saskatchewan have received their first doses, including 1,834 in Regina and 1,108 in Saskatoon.
Further deliveries of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to arrive early in the new year, with Health Minister Paul Merriman saying the province is coordinating with federal officials to determine when further supplies will arrive. Close to 7,000 doses of the Pfizer version will be available in mid and late January, with further deliveries to be determined.
As of right now, there is no schedule for the general population to receive vaccinations, with Dr. Shahab expecting limited supplies to be available through the first three months of the year and general vaccinations to begin in mid-2021.
That could change if more doses of the two main vaccines are available sooner, as well as the new AstraZeneca vaccine that was recently approved for use in the United Kingdom. Like the Moderna vaccine, it is stable at regular fridge temperatures, but has a lower overall effectiveness compared to the currently available vaccines.
“We hope to see that vaccine available, as well as potentially other products available, especially starting in April, and that’s when I think there’ll be broader supply,” Shahab said. “That’s when the vaccine will be opened up to younger age groups with underlying health conditions, and then to the general population. I would estimate June, July onward.”
