Remote First Nations communities among first in B.C. to get Moderna vaccine

Residents of 18 remote First Nations communities in B.C. are among the first people in the provinceto getthe Moderna vaccine this week.

While someare feeling nervous, many are thrilledto have first access tothe defence against COVID-19.

"It is a little bit surreal," saidDon Speck, amember of the Namgis First Nation in Alert Bay who isgetting his vaccine this week.

Last spring, Speck'scommunity faced an outbreak where more than 30 people tested positive and two people died.

"A lot of the elders were scared to leave their homes, [for]basically six toeight months, and so now there's just this overwhelming relief," he said.

WATCH |95-year-old elder, the first person to be vaccinated in Gitga'at First Nation, describes the importance of the vaccine:

Elder Helen Clifton says she wants to be a role model for those unsure about taking the vaccine

4 years ago

Duration 0:47

'What is precious to granny should be precious to all,' says the 95-year-old elder who was the first to be vaccinated in her Gitgaat First Nation community.

Thousands of doses received this week

This week, Provincial Health OfficerDr. Bonnie Henry announced that 10,700 doses of theModerna vaccine are being made available for isolatedand remote First Nations communities in the province.

They are considered priority populations as many communities have limited hospital space and some individuals aredeemed to be at higher risk of having severe health impacts from COVID-19.

Henrysaid to date, more than 5,300 Moderna doses have been distributed to 18 rural and remote First Nations.

One of thecommunities receiving the vaccine this week is Ahousaht,a Nuu-chah-nulth First Nationon the west coast of Vancouver Island only accessible by boat or plane.

"I was emotional in a good way andmy heart became very, very full," said elected Chief Greg Louie who was the first person in the community to be vaccinated.

His community held a ceremony for the nurses who carried in and administered vaccinesinthe small community of about 1,000 people.

Ahousaht has been in lockdown since November because of fears of the virus spreading tothe First Nation.

"Withinthe span of about three weeks, we had 18 cases ofCOVIDin our community," he said.

While there were no deaths, at least one that contracted the virus wasin and out of hospital several times.

"Here's an opportunity for our peopleto pull together to have a good defence against COVID," Louie said.

WATCH |Takla Nation Chief John French receives his first vaccine dose and appeals to others in the nation to get theirs:

Takla Nation Chief John French says the COVID-19 vaccine offers a path back to normalcy

4 years ago

Duration 1:35

Takla Nation Chief John French is encouraging other Indigenous people to get vaccinated and protect elders.

'Protecting our elders'

Another Indigenous community that will be among the first to receive the vaccine is theHuu-ay-aht First Nationsbased on Pachena Bay, about 300 km northwest of Victoria.

"I am actually pretty excited to be one of the first people in Canada to get the injection," said Hazel Cook, who is aHuu-ay-aht First Nations citizen living in Alert Bay.

Her community didn't face an outbreak, but some members tested positive for the virus. One citizen living out of the communitydied.

"We have a lot of struggles in all of our communities, with peoplepassing away thatare knowledge keepers," she said.

"So it is really nice knowing that [health authorities]are takinginto consideration that we are losingour culture, and knowing that this will help keep it alive."

Helen Clifton, a 95-year-old Gitga'aelder, got the first dose of theCOVID-19 vaccine in her community.

Clifton says she has been alive for five generations and has witnessed how effective vaccines can be against illnesses like polio and chicken pox.

"I have to be a role model," she said, speakingfromHartley Bay, an isolated villageabout 145 kilometres south ofPrince Rupert.

She points to her grandchildren as the reason she wants to get the vaccine.

"They're all so precious," she said.

Between December and February approximately 25,000 people from remote or isolated First Nations communities in B.C. will be vaccinated.

Tap the link below to hear CBC's Angela Sterritt speak with elders about receiving the Moderna vaccine: