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the province will also set up immunization clinics using the johnson & johnson vaccine at work camps in the wood buffalo region, according to shandro.
the lowered age limit means many more people in banff can be immunized, sorensen said. the city’s largest age cohort is 20- to 29-year-olds, and 30- to 34-year-olds make up the next biggest group.
“we do have a very young population, and this decision to allow us to vaccinate people in the 30-plus range is going to go a long way in immunizing the front-line workers,” she said.
speaking to the fort mcmurray today following the announcement, wood buffalo mayor don scott said the move was a “step in the right direction,” after councillors and first nations chiefs called on the province to lower age restrictions for the virus.
“our region was being treated like every other region, even though our region is not being treated by the virus like every other region,” scott said.
on tuesday, alberta chief medical officer of health dr. deena hinshaw said high rates of covid-19 spread persist throughout the province and giving vaccines to hot spots will mean other regions won’t receive supply.
“it’s important to remember we have a limited supply, so everything that’s allocated there, which is on the table for discussion, would be taking it away from somewhere else, and those are the very difficult decisions we need to make about what would have the greatest impact,” hinshaw said.
additional targeted public-health measures could also be introduced to the hardest-hit areas of alberta, kenney said.
— with files from vincent mcdermott
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