Nova Scotia pharmacists reach millionth COVID vaccine milestone

Pharmacists in Nova Scotia are celebrating a new milestone in the fight against COVID-19 as they reach one million vaccine doses administered in the province.

“This is an incredible milestone. Nova Scotia leads the country in doses administered in pharmacy,” Allison Bodnar, CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS), said in a news release. “We are so proud of all our teams for going above and beyond to protect Nova Scotians from this virus.”

The goal was reached with the help of nearly 300 pharmacy clinics across Nova Scotia.

“It has not been easy. Our team members are tired,” Bodnar adds. “They have worked incredibly hard and given up a lot. They, daily, put themselves and their families at risk of contracting COVID-19 while protecting others.”

Pharmacies in the province started administering COVID-19 vaccines in March and have since taken over the reins.

Currently, Nova Scotia has seen more than 1.7 million vaccine doses administered; around 89 per cent of the population has received at least one dose.

Vaccine eligibility for children and expanded eligibility for third-dose booster shots are making that number rise.

This week, premier Tim Houston and chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang announced that booster shot appointments were being opened up to people over the age of 50.

While pharmacies across the province are administering vaccines, Diane Harpell, chair of the board of directors for the PANS, said people's aggression and abuse must stop.

“Pharmacies from Yarmouth to Neil’s Harbour are delivering vaccine,” she said in the news release. “While most patients have been appreciative of these efforts, there are still daily accounts of aggressive and abusive behavior. We need this to stop. We need the public to be patient and kind.”

She adds that if someone is symptomatic, a close contact or has COVID, they need to avoid going into pharmacies to ensure staff safety.

Some pharmacies in Nova Scotia provide asymptomatic testing for people travelling within 72 hours. However, none provide symptomatic testing and none have rapid test kits provided by the government.

Thank you to all the pharmacy team members across the province for the hard work you have put into keeping Nova Scotians safe and healthy! Happy holidays! pic.twitter.com/gtLsA3XOqU

— PANS (@PharmacyNS) December 21, 2021

In July, pharmacists across the province celebrated as they broke the 500,000 mark of vaccines administered in pharmacies.