Indigenous pharmacist hopes to get COVID vaccine into arms of First Nations, Metis in Sask.

A few days ago, Saskatoon’s Jaris Swidrovich was all smiles as he tweeted: “It has been another busy month working on all the necessary learning and training, but I am now fully certified to administer all vaccines and other injectable medications –  including the #COVID19 vaccine!”

Swidrovich is the only Indigenous person in Canada to hold a Doctorate of Pharmacy. He works mainly in hospitals in drug therapy intervention. He’s also an assistant professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Saskatchewan.

He says injection training is an option for all pharmacists in the province. Given the pandemic and the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination clinics that will be up and running across the province, he wanted to be part of that. He says there was a lot of work involved.

“There was a number of online modules that were required. I think it was almost 40 hours of online learning, and then a CPR/first aid training had to be taken again, and then the in-person injection training,” he explained.

Although he hasn’t yet received his COVID-19 vaccination, he hopes in the coming weeks and months he’ll be able to help out with clinics — specifically those focusing on First Nations and Metis COVID immunizations.

“I think the way I personally will be helping out will be through some community-based organization’s vaccine clinics,” he added. “Perhaps, particularly community-based organizations that serve urban First Nations and Metis folks. And perhaps even going out to my own reserve if that opportunity arises would be excellent, which is Yellow Quill First Nation.”

That could include the Friendship Centres around the province.

“I think a handful of them will be vaccination sites,” said Swidrovich. “I want to be able to help out in a bigger way than just promotion and advertising and organization — but actually just administering the injections myself.”

He has received a lot of positive feedback for his decision to take the additional training, including friends, family and colleagues who hope he can administer their vaccines when their turn is up.

“That felt kind of neat because it tells me that they have trust in me,” he said, “and even if my technique is maybe not based on years of experience … the fact that they wanted to receive that injection from me is really cool.”

He hopes to further that trust when he participates in any community immunization clinic as well, especially given the roots of vaccine hesitancy in some Indigenous peoples based on historical realities.

“Having that intimate understanding of why there might be hesitancy across First Nations and Metis and Inuit folks in Canada, I think some of that hesitancy might be easier to overcome with a First Nations person who has received the injection himself and is also providing it,” Swidrovich said.

And for Swidrovich, the decision to take the training and to offer his services was not a difficult one. He also hopes to raise more awareness about the roles that pharmacists in general can play during this time.

“We all want to see this pandemic through. If I can help, of course I will be,” he said.