COVID-19 Vaccination Program

Date: March 12, 2021
Classification: Unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch / Agency: CSC

Proposed Response:

• The Correctional Service of Canada is committed to protecting the health and safety of staff, inmates, and the public during these unprecedented times. 
• The Service has worked very closely with the Public Health Agency of Canada to respond to the pandemic, including the provision of vaccines to inmates.
• Under the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, the Correctional Service of Canada has an obligation to provide essential health care to the approximately 12,500 inmates in correctional Institutions across the country.
• This includes the eventual offer of vaccines to all federal inmates in its care and custody.
• The Correctional Service Canada’s vaccination strategy follows the advice of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. It supports the timely allocation, distribution and administration of the vaccine for those in federal care as efficiently, safely and equitably as possible.
• As part of phase one and guided by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, approximately 600 older, medically vulnerable federal inmates were offered a vaccine.
• As further supply of the vaccine becomes available in phase II, it will eventually be offered to all federal inmates based on National Advisory Committee on Immunization prioritization guidance.
• Employees are also top of mind.  These include health care workers and other frontline staff working in high-risk settings. They keep operations going 24/7.
• As per National Advisory Committee on Immunization guidelines, the institutional health care staff are included as priority Canadians for phase one and they will be offered vaccinations by their provincial/territorial health authorities. Provinces have begun vaccinating these workers. The Service continues to be vigilant in applying infection prevention and control measures, including enhanced cleaning protocols, providing staff, inmates and anyone entering the sites with masks, if necessary, continuing ongoing education about hygiene, physical distancing and monitoring symptoms, COVID-19 testing, and contact tracing.

Background:

On January 8, 2021, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) began vaccinating inmates against COVID-19 in accordance with guidelines established by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Clinics were organized by medical staff to ensure elderly, medically vulnerable inmates were able to access the vaccine.

It is expected that CSC will have completed its first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations shortly. In phase I, vaccines were administered at the following institutions:

• Atlantic Region: Dorchester Penitentiary, Springhill Institution and Shepody Healing Centre
• Quebec Region: The Regional Reception Centre, La Macaza Institution, the Federal Training Centre, Cowansville Institution, Drummond Institution, and Archambault Institution
• Ontario Region: Bath Institution, Beaver Creek Institution, Collins Bay Institution, Grand Valley Institution for Women, Joyceville Institution, Millhaven Institution, the Regional Treatment Centre (Millhaven and Bath Institution), and Warkworth Institution
• Prairie Region: Drumheller Institution, Saskatchewan Penitentiary, Bowden Institution, Regional Psychiatric Centre, and Stony Mountain Institution
• Pacific Region: Kent Institution, William Head Institution, Matsqui Institution, Mission Institution , Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village, Fraser Valley Institution, Mountain Institution, and Pacific Institution/Regional Treatment Centre

Procurement

CSC has received doses of the Moderna vaccine, allowing CSC to begin vaccinating elderly, medically vulnerable inmates in January 2021. CSC expects to receive more vaccines from Health Canada as they become available and will continue to vaccinate inmates in the coming months. CSC has supplies necessary for administration of the Moderna vaccine, including syringes and alcohol wipes, provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s national inventory. CSC has monitored freezers (-20C) for COVID-19 vaccines storage at its regional pharmacies. Vaccines will be sent to health care units as necessary.

Phase I

CSC established an integrated risk management process where, on an ongoing basis, decisions about its operations are made in close collaboration with public health authorities, unions, Elders, and stakeholders to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. CSC expects to vaccinate approximately 600 inmates in phase I. In future phases, as more vaccine becomes available and based on the NACI prioritization guidelines, other inmates will be offered the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Additional vaccines are expected to be delivered through the year.

CSC has a vaccination strategy that is aligned with the Government of Canada approach, following the recommendations and guidance of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. CSC’s approach is consistent with past public health situations, such as H1N1, during which a similar process was followed.

CSC is responsible for offering vaccines to all federally-incarcerated individuals. As per National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) guidelines, elderly, medically vulnerable federal inmates have been offered vaccination during phase I. CSC’s plan moving forward is to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to all federally-incarcerated individuals before end of year 2021. Offenders in the community will be vaccinated by the provincial and territorial health authority.

Contacts:

Prepared by: Bailey Milne, Officer Parliamentary Relations
Approved by: Kirstan Gagnon, Assistant Commissioner, Communications and Engagement, 613-995-6867

Date modified:

2021-08-16