On Tuesday, the Saskatchewan government released an update on Phase 2 of the provincial vaccine rollout, clarifying when and how the general public could expect to get immunized against COVID-19.

The announcement included plans for mass immunization and drive-thru clinics here in Moose Jaw with age being the most substantial determining factor in who gets the shot first. The slated start date for Phase 2 is sometime in April.

Dr. Brandon Thorpe, a local physician, reacted to the updated plan saying that he's excited to see more details about the rollout. 

Dr. Brandon Thorpe is one of several local doctors coordinating the local rollout. (File photo).

"Phase 2 will use a similar approach that we used in the fall for the influenza vaccination," explains Thorpe. "So we'll see these mass clinics in some of the more centralized centers of the province. We want to make sure that there will be 7-day access with extended hours so that it's not just 9 to 5."

While there is still no confirmed location for the clinics here in Moose Jaw, Thorpe says that the local medical health professionals have been in daily meetings with the Saskatchewan Health Authority to plan and coordinate the logistics of the vaccine delivery as efficiently as possible.

"Right now, we're looking at the staffing and we're quite advanced in our planning but the final details have yet to be settled."

Part of the plan is the involvement of local physicians and nurses to man the clinics. Later on in the process, vaccines will actually be available at doctor's offices and pharmacies.

"At this point, the vaccination needs to be centered in a pretty dedicated effort," adds Thorpe, "because the vaccines can't be moved from place to place once the viles are opened."

While preparations for beginning Phase 2 may be well on their way, the desired start date of April may seem overly optimistic. After all, Moose Jaw has as of writing, received zero vaccines. Phase 1 of the plan started in Saskatchewan back in December, getting shots into the arms of at-risk populations like long-term care residents and healthcare workers. Phase 2 can only begin once Phase 1 is nearly complete and the latter has not even begun here in Moose Jaw and the surrounding area. Nevertheless, Dr. Thorpe is hopeful that vaccines could begin arriving in Moose jaw as early as next week.

"We've actually had pretty good numbers in our area for some time which is a good and a bad thing. It's good that we haven't had many cases, but it's also the reason why were are a bit behind. The limited number of vaccines that the province had, had to go towards priority areas."

Thorpe also says that the manufacturing delays from Pfizer and Moderna have also slowed the deliveries of vaccines to Moose Jaw but that the issue should be rectified soon. He's still confident that given the information they are being provided with by the government, that the April start date of Phase 2 will still be achieved.