SASKATOON - NDP Leader Ryan Meili and Health Critic Vicki Mowat called on the Sask. Party government to adopt a “Last Mile” strategy to ensure that every eligible Saskatchewan resident has access to their first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and to address vaccine hesitancy and accessibility.
“Saskatchewan people have been stepping up and getting their shots, but we know there is work to do to ensure herd immunity so that we can enjoy a summer and fall with all that it has to offer in our province,” said Meili. “We need to make sure that effort is successful by getting as many people vaccinated as is possible so we can put this pandemic behind us.”
With a recent Angus Reid poll showing Saskatchewan with the highest vaccine hesitancy in the country and indications of plateauing demand across age groups for vaccine uptake, New Democrats are calling for:
- A plan to proactively reach out to eligible Saskatchewan residents who have not yet received a first dose or made an appointment and work with them to make a vaccine plan
- Training callers to address questions about vaccine safety and efficacy and working with trusted community leaders to promote vaccine acceptability and uptake in key communities
- Mobile clinics to be deployed to areas of low vaccine uptake and offered in public spaces
- Replicating this strategy for the second dose process to ensure the highest possible rate of full vaccination in Saskatchewan
- Trust in the experts to lead these steps and keep the premier’s office away from clinical decisions
“Our front-line staff have done an amazing job of getting the vaccine out and it is making a real difference here in Saskatchewan,” said Mowat. “Now the job is to go that last mile. Let’s exhaust every tool in our tool-box to put COVID-19 behind us for good.”