People 85 years of age and older will start getting their first COVID-19 vaccine shots on March 24, says Corner Drug Store pharmacist-owner Charles Beaver.

Although a provincial press release mentioned the date March 17 as the start of vaccinations for the 85 and over cohort, Beaver says pharmacies in Zone 1 are receiving vaccine shipments starting March 23.

But there’s no need for people 85 and over to wait to get registered for the shot. At both Corner Drug and Jean Coutu, people in that first target group can start calling immediately to get on the list for shots sometime after shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are due to arrive in town on March 23.

Beaver says that, according to Public Health, there are about 180 people in the Sackville area who fit into this first age group to be prioritized.

“Because of the relatively small number of people,” says Beaver. “The telephone is going to work just fine this coming week.”

As a health care worker who will be administering the vaccine to large numbers of people, Beaver himself got the shot on Friday morning.

“It was incredible,” he says. “There was a real energy in the room. A lot of optimism. The vaccination itself… I almost didn’t even notice that to be honest.”

Beaver says the standard advice is to keep your muscles nice and relaxed while receiving the vaccination, and then gently moving it around afterwards.

Any seniors 85 and over with mobility issues should call their pharmacy anyway. Though they are not authorized to transport the vaccine shots great distances, Beaver says that Corner Drug Store staff will be able to come out and give shots to people in cars, if needed.

“That’s something that’s really innovative pharmacists were doing with the flu vaccine when it first arrived, and the weather was half decent,” says Beaver.

“Folks will have to have somebody else with them driving,” says Beaver, adding that a responsible adult is required to be there to contact the injector if there is any reaction. “We ask people to wait 15 minutes before leaving as a minimum, and we’re there to help in the very rare instance of allergic reaction.”

PRE-REGISTRATION FOR FUTURE PRIORITY GROUPS

Beaver says he anticipates the province moving very quickly to the next demographic group, people aged 80 and up, perhaps even as soon as the last week of March.

“And as quantities increase, I suspect we’ll be seeing hundreds every week,” he says. “So we’re preparing for that.”

“As the age groups get younger, there’s going to be far more patients looking for the service,” adds Beaver. “So using technology tools is going to be critical for us to be able to manage the number of vaccinations that that people are going to be requesting.”

In a news conference on Friday afternoon, Dr. Jennifer Russell and Health Minister Dorothy Shephard announced plans for additional groups that would be receiving vaccinations before March is out. Those include people aged 75 and up, first responders, people with complex medical conditions and workers who regularly travel across the border. When asked if other regular border crossers, such as people with cross border child custody or senior care arrangements, would be included in this group, Shephard couldn’t give a clear yes, but neither would she rule it out.

“I think that for now we have priorities based on, I guess, urgencies. And we’ll be progressing. I’m not saying no, especially when it comes to the custody arrangements, but I think we’ll have to continue to stay updated on those things.”

Cross border commuters, truckers, and rotational workers can expect to be eligible to register for a vaccine by the week after next, said Shephard.

A graphic created by the province of New Brunswick outlining the expected rollout timeline for COVID-19 vaccinations in NB. Photo courtesy of the New Brunswick Government.

Corner Drug has set up an online pre-registration system where people can put their contact, demographic and health information, and then be contacted by the pharmacy once they are eligible to receive the vaccine.

There are four certified injecting pharmacists at Corner Drug, says Beaver, who, “have plenty of experience giving vaccinations,” especially after this past season’s flu vaccine when demand spiked. As the demand for COVID-19 shots increases, Beavers says there might be trained volunteers who can help, and the work can even move outside.

“I’ve already had one registered nurse volunteer to come and assist,” says Beaver. “There’s so many people that have been waiting so long to see some progress in helping turn the tide in this pandemic,” he says. “It’s wonderful to see folks put up their hand and say, how can I help?”

'THE SAFETY RECORD IS INCREDIBLE'

Pharmacies track a good deal of information when they give a shot, says Beaver.

“We track lot, expiry date, everything even right down to the time the dose was given and which shoulder it was put in,” says Beaver. “So that we can go back later, if ever there were an issue.”

Issues are rare, of course. “So far, there’s been no issues with the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna,” says Beaver. “AstraZeneca had some coincidental issues. So they isolated one batch that was made in Europe,” he says. “None of that’s coming to Canada anyway.”

Beaver recommends that people with concerns about the vaccine make sure they seek out reliable information.

“I’ve been working in healthcare for well over 30 years,” says Beaver. “I’m a voracious reader and, you know, care very much about safety of our patients. I’ve already received the vaccine. It’s safe and effective.”

“I encourage anybody who has some concerns to look for information and never in just one source,” says Beaver. “There’s some negatively intentioned people out on the internet that are saying COVID is a hoax, and it’s not real, and vaccines are going to let, you know, Microsoft control your mind or something.”

“I would say trust our advisors, our chief medical officers of health, your own physician, perhaps,” says Beaver. “There’s lots of good information out there. And actually 10s of millions, probably approaching hundreds of millions now have already received the Pfizer BioNtech, and the safety record is incredible. And this is something that’s going to make a huge difference for everyone.”

You can contact the Jean Coutu pharmacy at (506) 536-0230, and the Corner Drug Store at (506)-536-2255 or their website.

Hear this story as reported on Tantramar Report, including the full interview with Charles Beaver, here: