VANCOUVER -- B.C. health officials have released the province’s vaccine rollout plan after Health Canada approved the country’s second COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 23.

Officials in Ottawa announced Wednesday that Health Canada has approved the Moderna vaccine for use in the country, with the first doses expected to be delivered by Christmas and distribution will initially be focused in the northern territories.

“Now that Health Canada has approved the Moderna vaccine, we have the green light to start rolling it out across the country,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a briefing in Ottawa. “The first doses of our guaranteed 40 million dose order from Moderna will arrive in the coming days.”

The rollout will start slowly. Health Canada senior medical advisor Dr. Supriya Sharma said Canada will receive up to 168,000 doses before the end of December, with “more arriving early next year.”

The Moderna vaccine is easier to handle and transport. It needs to be stored at -20 C to be kept stable, while the Pfizer vaccine needs to be kept between -60 C and -80 C until injection. Because of this, the first rollout of the vaccine will be focused on the northern parts of the country.

Major General Dany Fortin, who is overseeing the rollout logistics for the federal government, says the three territories, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, will receive their doses on Monday.

Other provinces and territories will also be receiving shipments, but it’s not known exactly when. There has already been a dry run for distribution to more than 100 shipping points across the country.

During her update Wednesday, B.C.’s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the first doses will arrive in the province next week, and announced the rollout plan for the next few months.

Here’s how the province is prioritizing vaccinations:

December – February: Approximately 150,000 individuals

  • Residents and staff of Long Term Care (LTC) –approximately 70,000 individuals
  • Residents and staff of Assisted Living residences –approximately 13,000 individuals
  • Individuals in hospital or community assessed and awaiting a long term care placement –approximately 2,000 individuals
  • Essential visitors in LTC and Assisted Living –approximately 8,000 individuals
  • Health care workers providing hospital front line care in ICUs, medical/surgical units, EDs, paramedics –approximately 30,000 individuals
  • Remote/isolated First Nation communities –25,000 individual

February - March: Approximately 400,000 individuals for dose 1

  • Community-based seniors 80+ (65+ Indigenous seniors and elders) –approximately 260,000 individuals
  • People experiencing homelessness and/or using shelters; provincial correctional facilities, group homes (adults); mental health residential care (adults) –up to approximately 40,000 of individuals
  • Long term home support recipients and staff –approximately 60,000 individuals
  • Hospital staff, community GPs and medical specialists –approximately 20,000 individuals
  • First Nation Communities –approximately 25,000

The introduction of the Moderna vaccine is being welcomed by long term care facilities in B.C.

For B.C. in particular, the Moderna vaccine is welcome news for residents of long term care facilities.

“This is a vaccine that can be taken to nursing homes and vaccinate residents in place, currently the Pfizer vaccine means workers have to go to the vaccine,” said Terry Lake, CEO of the B.C. Care Providers Association. “So this will make vaccinating residents, and hopefully essential visitors as well, much easier. And will go a long way to reuniting families again.”

Lake expects most residents to start receiving their shots at the start of the New Year.

“We could envision, optimistically, that sometime in February, maybe by Family Day, which would be a great way to celebrate Family Day, we would be able to reunite people with their loved ones in long term care and assisted living,” he said.

Preparations have already started at some locations. Families of some residents have been asked to fill out paperwork granting permission for their loved one to be given the injection.

“About 30 per cent, or higher in some cases, of residents of long term care have cognitive difficulties, so families do need to get involved in decision-making in terms of receiving the vaccine,” Lake said.

B.C. health officials are expected to give an update on the Moderna vaccine later today when they present new COVID-19 modelling numbers.