As the next phase of Saskatchewan's vaccine rollout becomes clearer, the province has been adamant they will vaccinate people based on age once they get into phase two. There are several organizations and professional advocacy groups that would like to see that change, however.  

From teachers and school staff to first responders, different groups have been asking the province for higher priority than the general population when phase two officially begins. If the province receives the number of vaccines they've been promised, that second phase should begin in April with people over the age of 70 getting the first doses.  

"A number of organizations have put forward their organization that they should be having some priority in some way, and advocating to be earlier in the phases of the vaccine rollout," said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. "I understand why. We had the police association, for example, advocating for its members." 

Police services in Saskatchewan have weighed in on the issue, including the Estevan Police Service, with most saying they would like to be among the groups prioritized for the vaccine. The Saskatchewan Teacher's Federation, meanwhile, has been pressing the province on this issue almost since the vaccines first arrived here.  

"Our communities have been encouraged to socially distance," said STF President Patrick Maze. "Well, we can't when we've got 30 or 35 students, so teachers are put at higher risk in those situations. We want to make sure that, if we want to keep classrooms open and keep the economy running, school staff are vaccinated." 

Provincial health officials admitted the plan as it stood assumed a high level of vaccine supply, but even with that in mind their priorities for the vaccines they get haven't changed. An age-based vaccine distribution is still the plan for whenever phase two is ready to begin.  

"You go for highest risk of adverse outcomes, hospitalization and death," said Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Saqib Shahab. "So what we've seen in many other jurisdictions, and what we are enacting here, the risk of death is highest based on age. So that has to be the number one principle." 

Dr. Shahab added that another factor in who gets vaccinated is the risk of transmission to those who are at risk, so people working with the elderly or immunocompromised were going to take precedence. There have been 53,030 doses of the two COVID-19 vaccines administered in Saskatchewan so far.