VACCINE TASK FORCE MUST PROVIDE PUBLIC DAILY BRIEFINGS TO ALBERTANS

EDMONTON - As Premier Jason Kenney prepares to address Albertans on the status of Alberta’s vaccination program, Alberta’s NDP is calling on the UCP government to immediately commit to daily briefings to the media and the public directly from Alberta’s Vaccine Task Force.

“The best thing Jason Kenney can do to rebuild trust with Albertans is remove himself as the face of the vaccine program, and allow Albertans to hear directly from the Vaccine Task Force,” said Rachel Notley, Leader of the NDP Official Opposition. “Albertans have a right to daily updates on the progress of this critical work, and to hear task force members answer questions about their progress.”

Daily updates from the Vaccine Task Force should include detailed information about progress on vaccinations among high risk demographics, including seniors in continuing care where there are current outbreaks, how vaccine distribution will be distributed to other facilities or sites with outbreaks, progress on the distribution of vaccines from various manufacturers, storage and transportation updates.

Daily briefings should also include updates on information previously called for by Alberta’s NDP such as daily reporting of vaccinations administered on a regional basis, inventory levels in Alberta, and anticipated incoming shipments. 

“There is nothing more critical for Albertans at this moment than a successful vaccine program,” said Notley. “For the sake of our health system, and our economy, we cannot afford for Jason Kenney and the UCP to get this wrong.”