06/22/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/22/2021 08:09
The province is extending clinic hours and opening more clinics as part of its efforts to ramp up the COVID-19 vaccine rollout so all Nova Scotians can be fully vaccinated by the end of August.
More than 245,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine will arrive by the end of June, in addition to regular shipments of the Pfizer vaccine. Together, these shipments are enough to vaccinate half of the province's eligible population.
'Moving up our vaccination rollout by more than a month is no small feat. We are expanding where we can, as quickly as we can,' said Premier Iain Rankin. 'It is only because of the countless hours that hundreds of people across our health-care system have, and will, put in that we can fully protect more Nova Scotians sooner.'
Nova Scotia is leading the country in first dose vaccinations at 71.1 per cent. The national average is 66 per cent.
To support an accelerated timeline, the province has:
Moving forward, more changes to create greater access to vaccine will include:
'Having high coverage rates with two doses of vaccine is key to safely reopening. Our ability to move up our timeline from end of September to end of August demonstrates that we have a strong vaccine rollout,' said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health. 'I am proud of the program we have created and the dedication of our immunizers and volunteers on the front-lines and of those who are working behind the scenes.'
The province has also partnered with the Halifax Convention Centre, Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian Red Cross and IWK Health Centre to open a community vaccination clinic in the Nova Centre. This clinic is scheduled to open later this week to immunize people with scheduled second doses.
Due to its centralized location in a high foot-traffic area of the city, the clinic will expand in the coming days to offer a walk-in service only to people who need a first dose of vaccine.
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