Nunavut surpasses 21,000 first-dose vaccinations

More than 21,000 people in Nunavut have received at least one vaccine dose, Premier Joe Savikataaq announced on Twitter on Monday.

To date, 16,116 have received two doses and are either fully vaccinated or soon will be.

While those numbers include vaccinations given to non-residents, such as rotational workers, the Government of Nunavut has not identified the number of those doses.

Based on Government of Nunavut data from last week, more than half of Nunavut’s population is now at least partially vaccinated and 40 per cent are or soon will be fully vaccinated.

According to Government of Canada data, Nunavut still ranks last in the country for the percentage of the total population who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

While that data looks at the entire population of the territory, more than 25 per cent of Nunavummiut are under the age of 12 and are still not eligible for a vaccine.

As of last Monday, more than a quarter of Nunavut’s eligible youth were vaccinated in less than a week.

From June 15 to 21 there were 1,228 Nunavummiut between the ages of 12 and 17 that received their first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Community clinics for youth will continue through July.

Outside of Iqaluit, Pfizer vaccinations will be available by appointment only. Those wishing to book an appointment can call their local health centre.

Unlike the Moderna vaccine, doses of the Pfizer vaccine are more difficult to transport and have a much shorter shelf life once they are unfrozen. Because of this, the Government of Nunavut cannot guarantee that doses of that vaccine will be administered outside of the community clinic dates.

For a complete list of Pfizer vaccination clinics or for more information on the vaccine, visit the Government of Nunavut’s COVID-19 vaccine website.