Saskatchewan COVID-19 Immunization Plan February 9, 2021 Goals • Protect the most high risk and vulnerable. • Minimize serious illness and death. • Protect the capacity of the health care system. • Minimize the spread of COVID-19. • Vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. 2 Saskatchewan Approach • Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 Immunization Delivery Plan is built on the foundation of age as the main risk factor. • Phase 1 is focused on vaccinating high-risk populations, people of advanced age, and health care workers that have been identified as a priority. • Phase 2 is focused on vaccinating the general population by age, as well as the clinically extremely vulnerable and people in emergency shelters and group homes. • Focusing on age as a primary risk factor will enable Saskatchewan residents to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in a more efficient and timely manner. 3 4 Phase 1 Update: Vaccine Supply • The Government of Canada has committed that every Canadian who wants to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will have access to a vaccine by September 2021. • To meet that deadline, the Government of Canada originally announced that it had secured six million doses of the vaccine (Pfizer and Moderna combined) for Q1 2021. • Of that supply, Saskatchewan was expecting to receive 191,300 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Q1: – 124,800 doses of Pfizer vaccine – 66,500 doses of Moderna vaccine 5 Phase 1 Update: Vaccine Scarcity • Saskatchewan is anticipating a shortfall of more than 12,600 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in Q1, as well 500 less doses of the Moderna vaccine. • Currently allotments will allow less than half of Phase 1 priority populations to be fully vaccinated. • Continued delays in receiving vaccines will extend time to vaccinate our most vulnerable people in Phase 1, as well as the rest of the population in Phase 2. • Future amounts of vaccine are unknown, as PHAC has not provided provinces/territories with confirmed allocations beyond Q1. 6 Phase 2 • Projected start: April-June 2021 (depending on available vaccine supplies). • Projected finish: Dependent on available vaccine supplies. • General population immunized in 10-year increments: • Targeted vaccinations to select congregate living and extremely clinically vulnerable populations. * Age groupings may widen under the age of 50 if vaccine supplies allow. 7 Why Focus on Age? • Age is the number one risk factor for severe outcomes, hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19. • People of advanced age are more likely to be clinically extremely vulnerable or living with other chronic conditions. Age Groups Deaths* Percentage of COVID-19 Deaths 80 and over 175 52.7% 60-79 118 35.5% 40-59 27 8.1% 20-39 12 3.6% Total 332 *Deaths as of February 5, 2021 8 Phase 2 Targeted Vaccinations Select congregate living settings: • Group homes for persons with intellectual disabilities • Emergency shelters People with underlying health conditions that are clinically extremely vulnerable include: • Solid organ transplant recipients. • People with specific cancers. • People with severe respiratory conditions. • People with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections. • People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase the risk of infection. • Adults with very significant developmental disabilities that increase risk. • Adults on dialysis or with chronic kidney disease. 9 Phase 2 Vaccine Clinics • The Saskatchewan Health Authority will operate 226 clinics in 181 communities across the province. o Mass immunization clinics o Drive-thru clinics o Mobile clinics o Community clinics will also be available (e.g. pharmacies). Saskatchewan COVID-19 Clinics Mass immunization clinics 141 Drive-thru clinics 24 Mobile clinics 61 Total clinics 226 10 Vaccine Clinics • Three primary categories of clinics will be available: By Appointment • e.g. Public health clinics, mass immunization clinics Drive-Thru/Walk-In • e.g. Drive-thru clinics, mobile clinics In the Community • e.g. Pharmacies, physician offices, partnerships with community-based organizations 11 Far North/ North 12 Far North/North Far North Mass immunization clinics 19 Drive-thru clinics 2 Mobile clinics 6 Total clinics 27 North Mass immunization clinics 48 Drive-thru clinics 6 Mobile clinics 8 Total clinics 62 13 Central/South 14 Central/South Central Mass immunization clinics 42 Drive-thru clinics 6 Mobile clinics 7 Total clinics 55 South Mass immunization clinics 28 Drive-thru clinics 3 Mobile clinics 22 Total clinics 53 15 Saskatoon 16 Saskatoon Saskatoon Area Mass immunization clinics 2 Drive-thru clinics 4 Mobile clinics 8 Total clinics 14 17 Regina 18 Regina Regina Area Mass immunization clinics 2 Drive-thru clinics 3 Mobile clinics 10 Total clinics 15 19 Additional Vaccine Clinics • Clinics throughout rural, urban and northern Saskatchewan. • Opportunity to add seasonal clinics (e.g. drive-thru clinics) as the weather allows. • In addition to the SHA clinics, there will also be many other clinics, including: – Participating pharmacies (last year 385 pharmacies in 113 different communities participated in the flu immunization program) – Participating physicians’ offices – First Nations clinics – Community-based settings – Partnerships with large businesses/industries 20 Resourcing • Up to 2,200 people involved in delivering COVID-19 vaccines in Phase 2. • Approximately 675 health care workers being redeployed to deliver vaccines. • Widespread deployment of immunization resources, including: − Public health staff − Casual, part-time and relief health care workers − Physicians − Nurse practitioners − First Nations health staff − Retired health care workers − Pharmacists − EMS − Medical students − Non-traditional immunizers 21 Keeping People Informed • Information will be publicly shared to let you know: – When it’s your time to be vaccinated. – How to register for a vaccine appointment. – The different types of immunization clinics available. – How to find the closest clinics to you. • All clinic and registration details will be available at www.saskatchewan.ca/covid19-vaccine. • Information will also be included in: ‒ Advertising in local media ‒ Social media ‒ Online ads ‒ Local publications ‒ Posters ‒ Direct mail ‒ News conferences 22 Booking an Appointment Phase 1 • Residents and staff in long-term care and personal care homes will be contacted directly. • Priority health care workers will be contacted to book an appointment. • People 70+ living independently in the community will receive information through direct contact, wherever possible, or through local media and social media where direct contact is not possible. 23 Booking an Appointment Phase 2 • Central scheduling system under development for easy online access to vaccine appointments. – Appointments to be booked online through the Government of Saskatchewan website at www.saskatchewan.ca. – Operational in March 2021. • Toll-free telephone line to allow residents to book appointments through a dedicated call centre. – Operational in March 2021. 24 Proof of Vaccination • Electronic and paper copies of vaccination records available. • People will receive a wallet card with a record of their COVID-19 vaccination. • Vaccination records also stored electronically on MySaskHealthRecord. • Register for MySaskHealthRecord at ehealthsask.ca. 25 26