After a rocky start to Alberta's COVID-19 immunization program, the province now seems well on its way to mass vaccinations. By Monday, 235,508 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been given in Alberta, with more than 88,000 residents getting both doses.
That's the most welcome news we've had to report in a long time, and ought to be duly celebrated. The vaccine is our way out of this pandemic; in the words of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who on Monday announced the cautious reopening of libraries and some indoor fitness activities, it is a "game changer."
The questions of who can get vaccinated and when has hung over St. Albert and the province for months. Changes to the process have been made on the fly as Alberta Health adjusts to the number of doses shipped. Adding to the confusion following the province’s announcement of the next stage of the Phase 1 vaccine roll-out were technical problems that frustrated the efforts of many to book vaccine appointments.
But now, with the glitches behind us, the numbers of those who have been vaccinated increase every day, and with them grows the hope that we will come through the other side of this pandemic soon.
We got through those initial bumps with relative ease and the province is tackling the logistics of transporting vaccine doses to pharmacies – a delicate process for medicine that requires strict temperature control. In the meantime, the vaccine can only be given out at sites in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, at least for now.
At the moment, St. Albert's seniors and other residents who are eligible for the shot don't have a local location they can go to for the vaccine. We are fortunate, however to live near several immunization sites in northwest Edmonton, including Sky View on 137 Ave., meaning travel distances are minimal. And for those residents who can't drive, who must take public transportation or who have other limitations that make it difficult to get into Edmonton, St. Albert also has a number of representatives advocating for an eventual site here, including our MLAs and the city's COVID-19 recovery task force.
As more doses become available, particularly of vaccines more easily handled, we’ve no doubt we’ll soon have our own local sites including pharmacies and doctors’ offices.
In the meantime, a little grace for each other, the government and our health officials is in order. Let’s set aside the political rhetoric and the complaining and trust that we are all focused on the common goal of getting vaccines into arms as quickly and efficiently as possible. The kinks, including how many locations the shot is being given out at, will certainly be worked out along the way. Remember, only a few months ago, we were ‘over the moon’ excited to even have a vaccine.
