The province is opening AstraZeneca vaccination appointments to people between 40 to 54.
Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, says they have seen some AstraZeneca appointments cancelled since the age for MRNA vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna, was lowered.
Dr. Strang says that allows them to open the vaccine to younger people.
“It’s in the range, what I was told, of about 10,000 does out there,” he says. “We will then be able to use that to open up those appointments for… the younger age group.”
Dr. Strang says they hope to start using the vaccine on people between 40 and 54 Friday.
He says he’s not concerned about vaccine uptake, and they have even seen people who cancelled their AstraZeneca appointment rebook after finding out it would take longer to get vaccinated if they waited for an MRNA vaccine.
“I’m confident that there’s enough demand for a vaccine that if some Nova Scotians have to rebook, other Nova Scotians will be very ready to take that appointment.”
Meantime, Premier Iain Rankin announced officials are working on a program to pay for childcare for healthcare workers.
Rankin has asked anyone with a child in daycare who can keep their child home to do so, to open more spaces for healthcare workers’ kids.
He says anyone who gives up their kid’s spot to a healthcare worker’s child will get it back when the lockdown is over.
