HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia Health is setting up four new COVID-19 vaccine storage sites across the province as they prepare to expand their vaccination program.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang said the province is moving quickly.

"We have been very fortunate to be able to develop in just the space of a few weeks, the necessary freezer and fridge capacity that will be required for this massive vaccine program," Strang told reporters Monday. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is being distributed across Canada, needs to be stored at -70 C.

The cold storage sites will be at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Colchester East Hants Health Centre, Valley Regional Hospital and Yarmouth Regional Hospital. They will be able to store any COVID-19 vaccine at the appropriate temperature.

"The rollout of vaccine across Nova Scotia will take time," said N.S. premier Stephen McNeil in a news release. "I ask everyone for their patience as our public health teams and health system partners continue their hard work over the holidays to expand access."

Strang said the province will receive another shipment of 3,900 doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine this week.

Vaccine will arrive to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital and Valley Regional Hospital cold storage sites the week of Jan. 4. Each site will receive 1,950 doses. Details about immunization clinics are still in the planning stage.

Strang said a certain amount of that shipment will be used to administer the second dose for those already immunized, and said there will be enough left over to start immunizing other priority groups, including health workers in long-term care units and vulnerable seniors.

"We've gone through all the ones who were eligible for that (first) dose and we are starting to reach out already to the people from our long-term care unit in Halifax, so we are moving faster than we even thought," Strang said.

Front-line health-care workers and long-term care staff in Central Zone are receiving the vaccine at a clinic in Halifax this month. So far, 1,463 people have received their first shot of vaccine.

"As we move into the new year we will see more vaccine arrive in our province and we will make sure that those who need it most during phase one of our rollout, receive it first," said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health. "We are now working on how we move that vaccine across the province and who will get it next, once it's in place." 

The only vaccine currently approved by Health Canada is made by Pfizer-BioNtech. Nova Scotia also expects to start receiving vaccine made by Moderna later this month. The Moderna vaccine still needs Health Canada approval before it can be administered.

The province also announced Tuesday that an 11-member vaccine expert panel has been established to monitor the use of vaccine in Nova Scotia and advise the chief medical officer of health.

The panel will be co-chaired by Dr. Gaynor Watson-Creed, deputy chief medical officer of health and Dr. Shelly McNeil, senior medical director of COVID Planning and Implementation at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, and includes experts in infectious diseases, immunology, vaccinology, vaccine safety, allergy and public health.

The other nine panel members are:

  • Dr. Lisa Barrett, clinician scientist and viral immunologist, Nova Scotia Health Authority
  • Dr. Maureen Carew, medical officer of health, long-term care and COVID-19 response, Department of Health and Wellness
  • Dr. Jeannette Comeau, paediatric infectious disease physician, IWK Health Centre
  • Dr. Scott Halperin, paediatric infectious disease physician, IWK Health Centre
  • Dr. Lynn Johnston, adult infectious diseases physician, Nova Scotia Health Authority
  • Dr. Gina Lacuesta, allergy and clinical immunology physician, Nova Scotia Health Authority
  • Dr. Joanne Langley, paediatric infectious diseases physician, IWK Health Centre
  • Dr. Noni MacDonald, paediatric infectious diseases physician, IWK Health Centre Dr. Karina Top, paediatric infectious diseases physician, IWK Health Centre.

With files from The Canadian Press.