Prisoners on the High Priority for Vaccine
Just caught a segment during my dinner News that Prisoners have been bumped to the #2 position on the priority list for the vaccine.
Quote:
The Conservatives are condemning a COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan that will prioritize some federal prisoners — a plan advocates say is a sound policy that will protect vulnerable people both inside and outside the prison system.
Conservative public safety critic Shannon Stubbs and Quebec Conservative MP Richard Martel issued a statement today calling it "outrageous" that incarcerated criminals could receive vaccines before some seniors in long-term care homes, front line healthcare workers, first responders and correctional officers.
"Government data from this past year shows that prison outbreaks have been isolated. The reality is that the federal government's failure to secure sufficient vaccine supply for all Canadians means that difficult choices must be made. Conservatives believe vaccinating the most vulnerable first must be the government's top priority," the statement reads.
Quote:
"Justin Trudeau needs to do the right thing and ensure that vulnerable seniors, front-line medical staff, and other essential workers are first in line for the vaccine."
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair confirmed that about 600 federal inmates who are elderly or have pre-existing health conditions will be vaccinated on a priority basis. He said the federal government is following the advice of the national advisory committee on immunization, which identified congregate living settings, including prisons, as "high risk" locations.
