First-Round Moderna amid Blow-Back from Far North Region

In an apparent policy 180, the Saskatchewan Health Authority has reversed its Dec 30 (2020) messaging that vaccines in the initial round would go to select regions of the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District. The SHA's January 6 (2021) messaging now includes a more equitable division of the more stable Moderna Vaccine across all northern regions - so what happened? 

Saskatchewan's Vaccine Roll-Out plan began with a pilot program in mid December, 2020 and late last night the first Moderna - a vaccine ear marked for remote and northern locations - was delivered by piloted plane to the La Ronge area. 

This comes after a week of confusion in the Far North East region for politicians, health care workers, and the greater public who felt 'left out' of the province's Key to Returning to Normal. 

Critical in this change was the work of elected officials in the Far North East region, including Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook Searson, Mayors Julie Baschuk (Northern Village of Air Ronge) and Colin Ratushniak (La Ronge) who all administrate interwoven and geographically close municipalities. 

The trio sent a unified letter to the Honourable Paul Merriman, Minster of Health imploring the SHA to reconsider. In the letter, the leaders' stress that the Far North East, too, has rising case numbers, outbreaks, and health officials working in hospitals and care homes -- those identified as first to receive vaccines in the province's priority framework. 

After hearing of the provincial change this week, Mayor Baschuk said she felt the change signified a recognition of error on behalf of the SHA, and that she hopes greater consultation on these types of choices will follow.