THUNDER BAY – The vaccination of hundreds of members over the past week comes as a welcome relief for Gull Bay First Nation, which saw numerous cases in the pandemic's early days.
Beyond providing protection for the estimated 200 members vaccinated at the CLE Coliseum building Saturday, the shots will also help restore connection.
Members living in Thunder Bay maintain close ties to the First Nation, also known as Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek, said Chief Wilfred King – ties the pandemic had disrupted.
“We’re only a short two-hour drive from Thunder Bay, and we have people that come and go from the city, a lot of visitation from family and friends, so it’s really important we target our off-reserve members as well,” he said Saturday.
The First Nation organized the venue and arranged to have medical staff in place for the clinic, with consenting members receiving a first shot of the Moderna vaccine. Second shots will be scheduled at 28-day intervals, King said.
Coordinating Saturday’s clinic, and another that vaccinated about 60 members on reserve March 15, was a “herculean task” for First Nation leaders and health partners, King said, but an essential one.
Several members living in Thunder Bay had recently tested positive, he added, highlighting the necessity of the clinic.
“Because of the high infection rates in Thunder Bay, we didn’t want people coming from Thunder Bay to the community that may pose a risk to community members,” he said.
“We have a lot of people that have co-morbidities. They were waiting a long time for this, and they’re quite ecstatic that they got the vaccination – they feel much, much safer.”
Other members remained more hesitant, said King, who was vaccinated himself on March 15. However, he expected uptake to rise in the coming weeks.
“There are still some people who are apprehensive about getting the vaccine,” he noted. “Some people are waiting for the second [clinic], they want to see how things play out. We’re encouraging all members to get vaccinated.”
Unvaccinated members will have another chance to sign up for a first shot at the 28-day interval when second doses will also be administered.
The community, which has a total population of about 1,400 members on- and off-reserve, was hit hard early in the pandemic, reporting eight COVID-19 cases in April and May of 2020.
Looking back on those worrying early days, King expressed gratitude for the much more encouraging current situation.
“We’re quite lucky, knowing that Gull Bay last spring was one of the hardest-hit communities in Ontario, and in Canada for that matter.”
