City clears up questions about why mayor got vaccine

Kelowna mayor Colin Basran put out a statement Tuesday explaining why he, at age 43, was able to get a Covid vaccine.

Basran volunteers at Kelowna General Hospital and anyone who does that is eligible for a vaccination.

The City of Kelowna issued the following statement in response to some media inquiries about vaccinations:

“Mayor Basran is among hundreds of volunteers in the healthcare sector to receive a vaccine. Volunteers in healthcare settings were offered a vaccine by Interior Health during Phase 2 of the rollout, due to their contact with patients, frontline staff and visitors.

“It is the responsible thing to do if you’re coming into contact with people in a patient care setting,” said KGH Foundation CEO Doug Rankmore. “Our volunteers are vital to the hospital’s ability to meet a variety of needs and their safety is a critical to our overall success.”

Mayor Basran has volunteered in the KGH coffee shop for more than a year, helping to raise money for the KGH Foundation. Before that, the mayor hosted an annual golf tournament that raised nearly $100,000 to support patient care,” read the statement.