La Loche mayor says province needs to tailor vaccine rollout to northern communities

It's slow going when it comes to vaccine uptake in the province's far northwest region, and mayor of one of the region's busiest hubs says Saskatchewan's one-model-fits-all vaccine rollout may be to blame.

Georgina Jolibois, mayor of the northern village of La Loche, says the province needs to produce a tailored vaccine plan for the north to ensure residents feel safe and confident when they get the vaccine. 

She feels, at the moment, all of the provided talking points and background have been for a southern audience. 

"It's not related to the communities and to the region," said Jolibois.

Leaders in the region have been doing their part in terms of vaccination — by promoting vaccines constantly and organizing local raffles for those who have gotten their shot — but she says the province needs to do a better job of tailoring its message to the north.

She's already asked officials with the Saskatchewan Health Authority to do a better job informing people about the Moderna vaccine used in remote communities. 

"People need to feel safe about the injection," she said. "What's in it? How was it made? People really want to know — in detail — all of that information."

As of Sunday afternoon, Saskatchewan had administered 590,952 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, of which 10,554 — less than two per cent — were in Saskatchewan's far northwest region.

Action to increase uptake already underway: Province  

The province released a joint statement from the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Ministry of Health on Monday, indicating it's taking steps to address low vaccine rates in the north, with action already underway.

"We recognize that communities in northern and remote regions are at higher risk for acquiring COVID-19 and related outcomes. This is why we took steps to ensure the first vaccines which were available in the province were made accessible to northern residents at the earliest opportunity," the statement said.

This includes the use of local radio stations and interviews to discuss vaccine safety, done in both English and Dene, alongside weekly communication from the Northern Population Health Unit. The statement also noted vaccine information distributed in the communities has also been translated into Cree, Dene and Michif.

The statement also noted SHA staff are working with groups on the ground, like the Friendship Centre in La Loche, to offer vaccine clinics and have been reaching out directly to community members who can get their shot. 

"We continue to explore other options to reduce barriers, including planning for mobile clinics in the community in upcoming weeks," the statement continued. 

Jolibois says the key person that northern leaders communicate with is Don McMorris, minister responsible for First Nations, Métis and Northern Affairs, but she says meetings are often brief, short and "sometimes there's not even time for meaningful dialogue."

The province indicated in its statement that Minister McMorris has been available to northern mayors in weekly and biweekly meetings throughout the pandemic and the vaccine rollout. 

Following Friday's legislative sitting, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe acknowledged his government would like to see higher rates in the region and is working to make that happen.

"We're taking efforts and initiatives to increase the uptake, not only in northern Saskatchewan, but to get our uptake as high as possible across the province."

Moe noted while there are still cases in the region and work to be done when it comes to vaccines, he says the province has taken great strides in combating the spread of COVID-19 in the area, which he attributed to the effectiveness of vaccines — even with only one of two doses administered. 

"We're in a markedly different position in the far north and the northern parts of the province than we were six months ago," he said.

Moe says the province has already increased the number of vaccines flowing to the region, and also been working to ensure people in the north could be vaccinated earlier. He said further messaging about vaccine availability is already on its way.

"We are sending out this correspondence just to ensure and remind those in the province that for some reason or another, have not received the first dose of their vaccine and are eligible, the importance of going out, and rolling up their sleeve, and taking that first dose, ultimately taking that second dose," he said.  

"This is our path through this."