Alberta to offer vaccines to meat-packing plant workers starting this week

Alberta’s Minister of Health, Tyler Shandro, announced today that the province plans to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to workers at meat-packing plants starting April 27.

According to Shandro, vaccines will be offered to more than 15,000 workers at 136 meat-packing plants across the province, through a combination of Primary Care Network clinics, public health clinics, linkages to local pharmacies, and AHS immunization sites.

“We continue to progress through Phase 2C of Alberta’s vaccine rollout as quickly as vaccine supply from the federal government allows,” says Premier Jason Kenney. “I’m glad that we can now offer vaccines to protect these valued workers who contribute so much to Alberta’s and the entire country’s food supply system. As vaccine shipments continue to arrive, our focus will be getting those Albertans most at risk of severe outcomes vaccinated as quickly as possible.”

Initially, the Alberta government planned to start offering vaccination clinics as early as April 20, but after a delayed shipment of vaccine, those plans were postponed.

“The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on these workers, and we’re grateful to them for the work they do to supply food for Alberta and the entire country.”

Any workers who have not been vaccinated when clinics wrap-up will be provided a letter from their employer that they can present at an immunization clinic, or pharmacy, to receive the vaccine. They will also be able to book through the AHS booking tool.

As of April 25, over 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 have been administered in Alberta, and according to Shandro, Alberta is “on track to offer all Albertans over 18 their first dose by the end of June.”

Photo: Chris Schwarz/Government of Alberta