All Saskatchewan residents will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by May 20.
Friday morning the province sent out a list of proposed vaccine eligibility dates. The dates are subject to change if vaccine delivery is delayed.
The age limit is expected to fall to 32 plus by May 8 with residents 29 and older eligible beginning May 10. The proposed schedule is set to continue lowering in three-year age increments every two days until May 18, when all residents aged 16 or older will become eligible. Eligibility will be lowered to 12 and up on May 20. Currently, no vaccines are approved for use in children under the age of 12.
The age eligibility applies to all vaccination clinics, including booked appointments, drive-thru/walk-ins, pharmacies and mobile clinics.
“We continue to set aggressive targets to immunize our remaining, eligible population of nearly 270,000 Saskatchewan people,” Health Minister Paul Merriman said in a press release.
Our ability to reach our targets is limited only by the amount of vaccine we receive but remember that once you are eligible to receive a vaccine, you are always eligible. You will have clinic options available and should continue to take the first vaccine that is available to you.”
The province, which announced the intention to launch school-based clinics to vaccinate students aged 12 and older, said more details will be available before May 20, the proposed start date for 12 and up vaccine eligibility. Pfizer is currently the only vaccine in Canada approved for people under the age of 18.
There will be some overlap with first and second doses, as second vaccine doses are set to begin on May 17 for residents aged 85 and older who received their first dose by Feb. 15. Second dose eligibility will occur about 13 weeks after first doses and that time period will decrease based on vaccine supply.
Monday morning’s announcement also included the lifting of some restrictions in Regina effective May 17. Currently, communities in the Regina Zone are not permitted to have in-person public dining. That will change on May 17, when in-person dining will once again be allowed province-wide. Tables will be limited to four seats each. Tables must be placed at least 2 metres apart if there are barriers, and three metres apart without barriers. Alcohol sales will end at 10 p.m. And restaurants and bars must have guest/reservation information for all customers.
Proposed vaccination eligibility schedule:
May 8 – 32+
May 10 – 29+
May 12 – 26+
May 14 – 23+
May 16 – 20+
May 18 – 16+
May 20 – 12+
