Eligibility set to change in Saskatchewan’s COVID vaccine rollout

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.

“Eighty-four per cent of all hospitalizations and 90 per cent of all COVID-related fatalities in our province have been people over the age of 40, so by getting this group of people vaccinated first, we will significantly reduce those serious outcomes,” Premier Scott Moe said during a media conference Tuesday.

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.

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. Corrections staff also have been asking to be included, including those who are affected by an outbreak at the Regina Correctional Centre.

As of Tuesday, there were 25 active cases among staff at the jail along with 148 active cases among inmates. As well, the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety said there were 20 cases listed as “released with isolation plan.”

After frontline workers and teachers are prioritized, 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.

“When it is your turn, go out and receive the first vaccination that becomes available to you,” Moe said. “They’re all effective (and) all safe for your age category. Ultimately, the way for lower hospitalization numbers is to provide and accept those vaccines into the general population.”