B.C. Conservatives condemn plan to give prisoners priority for COVID vaccine

The B.C. Conservative Party calls it “unacceptable” for prison inmates to get a COVID-19 vaccine ahead of vulnerable residents.

Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said this week about 600 federal inmates who are elderly or have pre-existing health conditions, will be vaccinated on a priority basis. He said the federal government is following the advice of the national advisory committee on immunization, which identified congregate living settings, including prisons, as “high risk” locations.

Federal Conservatives called the idea “outrageous,” with party leader Erin O’Toole tweeting “Not one criminal should be vaccinated ahead of any vulnerable Canadian or front line health worker.”

B.C. Conservative Party leader Trevor Bolin agrees.

“The Conservative Party of B.C. unequivocally condemns the prioritization of inmates, in prisons, who will be receiving vaccination ahead of vulnerable residents in long term care facilities. All vulnerable individuals deserve protection as soon as possible, however, the fact is, we have an extremely limited supply of vaccines. Tragically, seniors in care facilities continue to die every day here in B.C. and are continually proven to be the most at-risk community,” Bolin, a Fort St. John resident, said in a news release Thursday.

Bolin added it’s unacceptable to prioritize those jailed as dangerous offenders for serious crimes, ahead of society’s most susceptible citizens who have spent their lives contributing to the province; including 61 who died in just the first six days of January.

“While we are fully aware this is a federal issue, we call on Premier Horgan to immediately demand Prime Minister Trudeau correct this injustice immediately. Furthermore, the premier must commit that inmates in B.C.’s provincial jails will not also receive similar preferential treatment.”

Sen. Kim Pate, a long-time prisoners’ advocate, criticized the Conservatives’ stance in comments to CBC News.

“I find it problematic that individuals who, as far as I am aware, have no medical or epidemiological expertise seem more interested in inciting controversy than in ensuring all efforts are made to prevent the spread of the virus,” Pate said

Pate said protecting vulnerable prisoners will protect others in the community.

“As individuals in congregate settings, they and the front line workers in institutions are among those who health authorities feel should be vaccinated in order to help prevent community spread and hopefully lighten the load on health care providers,” she said.