Sask. lowers AstraZeneca age to 40; includes teachers, correctional officers in COVID-19 vaccine priority

Vaccine eligibility expanded, P.1 variant detected WATCH: Stefanie Davis has more on the province's plans to expand vaccine eligibility and the confirmation of a third variant.

REGINA — The Saskatchewan government announced Tuesday it will use the AstraZeneca shot to vaccinate people age 40 and older against COVID-19.

Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba and have updated the eligibility to allow people age 40 and older to receive AstraZeneca.

According to the government, vaccine eligibility is expected to open to those 44 and older on April 22, then to those 40 and older on April 28.

Once vaccine eligibility has been opened to the over-40 age group, the province said it will prioritize remaining frontline workers, including teachers and educational staff, correctional staff, border security agents, police officers, firefighters and frontline healthcare workers employed by the Saskatchewan Health Authority or private employers, such as dentists, optometrists and chiropractors.

The province said at this time there are fewer than 15,000 doses of AstraZeneca in Saskatchewan.

During a COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, Premier Scott Moe said the province is expecting to receive 30,000 vaccines this week – about a two or three day supply at the pace the province is moving.

MID-MAY TARGET STILL PROVINCES GOAL

Moe said while it ultimately depends on uptake, he is confident the province will meet its mid-May goal of opening vaccine eligibility to the general population, despite what he called an “erratic delivery schedule.”

The premier said though Moderna shipments have been slashed, Pfizer shipments are scheduled to increase dramatically heading into the summer.

According to the vaccine distribution schedule on Health Canada’s website, Pfizer shipments to Saskatchewan will double in May – increasing from 31,590 per week to 63,180. The province’s allotment will increase again in June to 74,880 vaccines.

The federal government’s schedule for Moderna shipments doesn’t extend past the last week of April, but Moe said he is hopeful to see an increase when it is released.