COVID-19 vaccine distribution

As of February 5, 2021, more than 9,200 people in Eeyou Istchee have been vaccinated  since the first shipment of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines arrived in our region on January 5.

• About 70% of the eligible people in Eeyou Istchee Cree communities have been vaccinated.

• We hope to continue this great momentum.

• Vaccination is an important choice you can make to help protect yourself and others from getting very sick from COVID-19.

• CBHSSJB is proud of the tremendous effort, dedication and collaboration in every Cree community to roll out the vaccination campaign.

The Cree Health Board is determining priority groups for the vaccine, which will include Elders and vulnerable people to start.

Enough COVID-19 vaccine doses will be available so that anyone who is eligible and wants to receive it in Eeyou Istchee may get the shot.

• Vaccines are not mandatory for anyone in Canada. 

• Essential workers have a higher risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 and it is important for them to make informed decisions about getting vaccinated. 

• If you are an essential worker, ask your employer about recommendations and requirements for your workplace.

• Indigenous leaders across Canada have advocated on behalf of their community members to receive, in priority, initial doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

• The risk of COVID-19 presents significant potential consequences in Indigenous communities because of large, multi-generational households that include Elders, the incidence of chronic disease such as diabetes that make people more vulnerable to severe infections, and limited access to “big hospital” health care services.

• Details about how the second dose will roll out in each community will be shared on local radio, social media, and the Cree Health website and Facebook page.

• Prioritization depends on the amount of vaccines that will be allocated (given) to us in the different phases of the campaign. We will let you know as soon as we have this information.

• If we have to prioritize within communities, we’ll use criteria based on clinical evidence applied to our Cree context.  

• Prioritization will be decided in consultation with the CNG, based on Public Health recommendations.

Criteria include:

• Age: the older you are, the more likely you are to get severe infection

• Logistical issues

• Type of work: healthcare workers and first responders are more likely to be exposed through their work

If you are isolating, you can, and should be vaccinated by appointment. 

• There are specific safety measures in place to vaccinate people in isolation, in designated red zones. 

• Call your CMC to make an appointment. 

• If someone has an active COVID-19 infection and is isolating, they have to wait until they recover before receiving the Moderna vaccine.

Everyone who is eligible for the vaccine should get the vaccine. If there is a need to prioritize vaccination, teachers will be vaccinated using the same criteria that is used for community members.

All adults 18 years of age and older can receive the vaccine.

When a second dose is available and is offered, they can obtain it from where they are at that time, by using their current address outside of Eeyou Istchee.

• The COVID-19 vaccination campaign is very well planned with CBHSSJB workers and your local clinics are ready.

• Every community will have a Vaccination Team.

• A Regional Vaccination Team will be available to help out if extra support is needed.

All Regional Vaccination Team vaccinators will either be travelling from another Cree community, or will have self-isolated for 2 weeks if they are coming from a high-risk area.

• All Public Health precautionary measures will need to be followed at the vaccination sites, including wearing a mask, disinfecting your hands, and respecting physical distancing.

• There will be a limit on the number of people allowed inside the vaccination site. The vaccination team will provide regular updates about wait times to local radio and social media.

• People will have to answer a screening questionnaire and will have to sign a consent form.

• They will be registered by a data entry technician.

• After receiving the vaccine, people will be taken to a waiting area, where they’ll be asked to sit and wait for 15 minutes.

• After 15 minutes, you’re allowed to leave the vaccination site. A member of the vaccination team will provide a handout sheet that lists potential side effects and a number to call if you need assistance.

Given that not everyone in every community or high-risk area will be vaccinated, local checkpoints will remain in place at the discretion of Cree Nation councils.