Head of New Brunswick EMO to lead COVID-19 vaccination distribution in the province

New Brunswick has named the individual who will be responsible for distributing any COVID-19 vaccines in the province.

Premier Blaine Higgs announced on Thursday at a COVID-19 update that Greg MacCallum, the director of the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization (NB EMO), will lead the vaccine distribution in the province.

“We know a vaccine will be available soon, and we are developing a plan to deliver it to New Brunswickers as efficiently as possible while balancing the health, social and economic impact,” said Higgs.

Details are still scarce on how many doses of coronavirus vaccine the province might get or how they will be allocated.

The federal government said on Thursday that it plans to have logistics and infrastructure in place before Christmas.

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At a press conference, Dany Fortin, the lead on Canada’s COVID-19 distribution, said Health Canada is still reviewing approval of specific vaccines but that the federal government and the provinces are working on a distribution plan.

They’re reportedly planning to do a trial run next week.

“We’re not going to wait until the end of December … We are getting ready so that when it becomes possible we are poised to distribute,” he said.

The federal government plans to give three million Canadians the first round of coronavirus vaccines when they are approved and arrive in the country.

With files from Global News’ Katie Dangerfield