New Brunswick takes onus of calling people to set up COVID-19 vaccinations

New Brunswick doing things differently While many provinces are allowing people to register, N.B. is asking people to wait for a call. Laura Brown reports.

FREDERICTON — Former lieutenant governor and member of the Tobique First Nation Graydon Nicholas received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.

"So often, our communities have to wait a long while before we're able to get the proper medical attention," Nicholas said. "But this was very good, the medical people in our community, the nurses and others, they were excellent."

More vaccine clinics are set up in First Nations communities this week and the province says 10,400 people will be immunized this week alone -- including residents and staff at 56 long-term care homes.

All long-term care residents will have their first dose by next week, but there's no indication of when clinics will be set up for specific age groups.

"New Brunswickers are asking right now: 'how do I register? Who's going to contact me? Who do I contact? When is it going to happen and where?" said opposition leader Roger Melanson.

He says people are calling their offices, asking these questions.

New Brunswick's provincial neighbours are allowing people in certain age groups to register for an appointment and Melanson plans to bring it up at the next COVID cabinet committee meeting on Wednesday night.

"I'm still worried that we're not ready like we need to be in terms of the roll out," Melanson said. "It's the unknown that really have people questioning."

Per capita, New Brunswick has administered more doses than Nova Scotia and another 1,970 people will be vaccinated this weekend.

Health Minister Dorothy Shephard indicated last month that you will be getting a call when it's your turn.

Nicholas says he's noticed some hesitancy.

"Yesterday, I ran into a friend in the community," Nicholas said. "I just happened to go into the convenience store there, and there was a guy I used to coach in baseball in my younger days, when I was playing baseball, so he was one of the players, he said 'what are you doing?' So I told him what I was there for and he said, 'gee I'm not sure if I should get one or not,' and I said, 'you should.'"

The 75-year-old Nicholas is scheduled to get his second dose in April.

The province is promising an update on it rollout plans sometime this week.