McDonald says provincial officials have not reported any cases of faster-spreading variants of the virus in First Nations communities, though she could not confirm how many COVID-positive samples were being analyzed.
Katie Hughes, the health authority s vice-president focused on public health, says just shy of 16,000 people in more than 90 First Nation communities have received COVID-19 vaccine so far, with doses expected soon in about a dozen more.
The widespread shortage of vaccine has hampered the delivery of doses, but Hughes says the province has assured them the goal of delivering vaccine to all B.C. First Nations by the end of March is still possible.
Delivering COVID-19 vaccine to B C First Nations by goal still possible: officials princegeorgecitizen.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from princegeorgecitizen.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Boats, planes, helicopters: Canada gears up to vaccinate remote indigenous communities By Moira Warburton
FILE PHOTO: Vials and medical syringe are seen in front of Moderna logo in this illustration
TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada’s indigenous communities have been prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine but distributing it across difficult and remote terrain will be a challenge, as authorities deploy small planes and boats to ship the drug.
Canada approved drugmaker Moderna’s vaccine on Wednesday, which most indigenous communities are expected to use because it remains stable at 2-8 Celsius (36-46 Farenheit) for 30 days, unlike Pfizer’s, which needs to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius and is only stable for a few days after thawing.