Photo Courtesy Northern Health

By Caden Fanshaw

VACCINE IN THE NORTH

WATCH: First person in Northern Health given COVID-19 vaccine

Dec 22, 2020 | 3:26 PM

.PRINCE GEORGE – A milestone for Northern Health as the first person has officially been given the COVID-19 vaccine in Prince George.

The first person to receive the vaccine in the Northern Health region was Biserka Becker, a care aide at Jubilee Lodge in Prince George.

Biserka was vaccinated along with a group of health care workers from University Hospital of Northern BC, and the nearby Jubilee Lodge long-term care facility.

Dr. Marietije Slabbert, the physician lead for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at UHNBC, was also among group to receive the vaccine.

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“This has been a really long journey for people working in health care, and the community at large, and it’s wonderful that this vaccine has finally arrived in the North; it’s like the best Christmas present ever,” said Dr. Slabbert. “The teams of physicians, nurses, care aides, cleaners — everybody has been working so hard, and we’ll continue working hard to get this vaccine to every person in the North who wants to be vaccinated.”

Northern Health is distributing the vaccine in accordance with the priority vaccine groups as recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, beginning with:

• High-risk health care workers
• Long-term care and assisted living residents

Northern Health expects everyone in the region to be vaccinated by the end of 2021.