The Corner Drug Store’s pharmacist-owner Charles Beaver reports that 270 local area residents were vaccinated at the Sackville pharmacy on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Beaver says the supply of vaccine distributed by the province is expected to slow down in the next two weeks, except for an influx of AstraZeneca vaccines due in the province any day now.
It’s not clear yet how many doses of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine will be available in Sackville pharmacies. Up till now, all shots given have been the PfizerBioNTech vaccine.
New Brunswick Public Health is offering Astra-Zeneca to people 55 or older after a recent precautionary change in advice from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). The first clinic to offer AstraZeneca to this new age group opens in Saint John today, and more clinics will follow once New Brunswick receives an expected 37,000 doses of AstraZeneca sometime next week.
OVER 10% OF POPULATION VACCINATED
Updated numbers released Wednesday by the province show that 10.6% of the population has now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The province has used up just over 77% of its vaccine supply, which leaves 27,860 doses in the province, waiting to be distributed and administered.
About ten high schools where staff vaccination clinics were delayed will in turn see a delay in the return to full time classes, to allow time for staff who received vaccines this week to develop coronavirus immunity.
Tantramar Regional High School will return to full time classes on April 12, as originally planned.
TCTF INFO SHEETS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION
If you are looking for more information on the province’s vaccine rollout, the Tantramar COVID-19 Task Force has started circulating printable info sheets to get the word out. The task force is encouraging people to print and share a flyer created by volunteers from the Physical Health Action Group.
You can download a copy of the info sheet in colour or black and white, or find the Tantramar COVID-19 Task Force on Facebook.
VACCINE ELIGIBILITY INFO FOR SACKVILLE
As of April 1, the following groups are eligible to book a vaccine through a pharmacy in New Brunswick:
- anyone aged 75 or over,
- workers who regularly travel across the border, including regular commuters, truckers and rotational workers,
- first responders who are 65 or over.
As of April 1, the following groups are eligible to book a vaccine through a Horizon or Vitalité clinic.
- anyone aged 75 or over,
- First Nations aged 16 and over,
- people with complex medical conditions,
- people aged 40 or older with three or more select chronic conditions,
- health-care workers and health system staff,
- first responders.
WHO TO CONTACT TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT
To book at a Sackville pharmacy, you can call Jean Coutu at 506-536-0230, or the Corner Drug Store at 506-536-2255. The Corner Drug Store also has pre-registration available for anyone, regardless of eligibility, on their website. If you are not currently eligible, you can register now, and Corner Drug will contact you once you are eligible.
In Port Elgin, people can call Village Pharmacy at 506-538-2333. In Memramcook, people can call the Familiprix at 506-758-1890.
To make an appointment at a Horizon or Vitalité clinic, people can go online or or call 1-833-437-1424.
If you need help getting to your vaccine appointment, Rural Rides Tantramar can help provide transportation to vaccine centres or pharmacies. To book a ride or volunteer as a driver, call 506-962-3073.
