(Lisa Schick/980 CJME file photo)

By CJME News

Eligibility set to change in Saskatchewan’s COVID vaccine rollout

Apr 20, 2021 | 3:25 PM

More people will soon be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations in Saskatchewan.

In addition to making the AstraZeneca vaccine available to everyone 40 and over, the provincial government is planning to lower the age of eligibility to book appointments to 44 and older on Thursday and 40 and over on April 28.

It currently stands at 48 years of age.

“To date, residents ages 40 and over who have contracted COVID-19 have seen the most severe outcomes, accounting for 84 per cent of total hospitalizations and 96 per cent of total deaths,” the Ministry of Health said in a media release.

After the age of eligibility drops to 40, the province also will prioritize access to vaccines through mass clinics to more first responders (some of whom currently are getting shots at mobile vaccination units) and other frontline workers aged 16 and up.

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Those plans depend on the vaccine available.

Among those who soon will be eligible are police officers, firefighters, teachers and education staff who work directly with students, frontline health-care workers with direct patient contact employed by the Saskatchewan Health Authority or private employers (such as dentists, optometrists and chiropractors), correctional staff, and border security officers.

“Eligibility for these groups will be announced once all residents ages 40+ are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine,” the government said. “Details on booking appointments will be provided next week, prior to additional priority groups becoming eligible.”

Teachers have been asking to be included in the vaccination plan for months.

After that, the government said, the province will return to its age-based system of vaccine delivery. In that scenario, people will get their vaccinations in decreasing age increments.