Uncertainty surrounds COVID vaccine rollout for long-term care residents

The pilot phase for the COVID-19 vaccination delivery plan is well underway, with Phase 1 expected to start later in December.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) gave a rundown on what the vaccination plan would look like on Dec. 9.

Despite the optimism and excitement a lot of people have surrounding the imminent vaccinations, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding what the process of getting vaccinated will look like for people in long-term care homes.

Alan Stephen, the CEO of Eden Care communities, says they are in the dark when it comes to what Phase 1 and the next two weeks will look like.

“I’m pretty confident that we will hear start hearing information from the SHA soon,” Stephen said. “Much like the general public, we don’t have a lot of information yet other than what has been shared by the government.”

Priority populations such as health-care workers, seniors in care homes, people over 80 years old and residents over 50 who are living in remote parts of the province will be eligible to start getting the vaccination starting later this month.

Despite the fast-approaching time frame, nothing has been shared with Stephen at this time.

“There are lots of things going on behind the scenes. We have been asking the SHA to start getting plans to us with as much information as they have so that we can start preparing ourselves for it,” he said. “There is a process and there are lots of things that need to take place.

“The more information that we can get, the better it is for us, even though it may come in in bite-sized pieces.”

Stephen says that care home residents, as well as staff, will not be mandated to get a COVID vaccination, as it comes down to it being their choice.

“We have started getting a feel for the numbers, and then how we will administer once they start giving us our plans,” he said. “I’m hopeful that people will take the vaccine; it’s yet another tool to stop this widespread virus.

“Our job is to make sure that we put out as much information as we can with the information that’s provided to us. Then we will try to educate and mentor our care partners, elders, residents and their families, and then they’ll make those decisions.”